Past Events

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On Thursday, October 9, 2008, Senators Hagel and Kerrey spoke candidly about the United States’ struggle to reform health care and looking forward to what must be done to ensure health care for all. This free event was proudly sponsored by AARP, Prairie Fire newspaper, and the University of Nebraska...
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About: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy is the better-known name of Pub.L. 103-160, a federally mandated set of laws regarding homosexuality in the US military that was first enacted in 1993. The policy prohibits “the presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to...
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About: For the first time in its 11-year history, in 2006, the Annual Nebraska Rural Poll surveyed nearly 2,500 residents of rural Nebraska on their perceptions and opinions about immigration. In particular, respondents were asked about their thoughts on the increase in immigration from Latin...
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About: Jane Elliot is an internationally renowned teacher, lecturer, and diversity trainer who presented this seminar in the City Campus Union. She is famous for her classroom experiment, “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes.” Invented in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the experiment...
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About: Nearly a year after the storms hit, the UNL Institute for Ethnic Studies and the Public Policy Center hosted a panel of three Katrina survivors to talk about their experiences during and after the storm. Although geographically distant from the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, Nebraska...
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About: At this Thomas C. Sorensen Forum for Political Leadership, panel members representing Lincoln/Lancaster County-area human service and disaster response agencies discussed local Katrina-response initiatives. This was co-sponsored with the UNL College of Arts and Sciences and UNL Institute of...
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About: As Henrik Ibsen once said, “A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.” In a changing world, leadership is exceptionally important to keep rural communities thriving. This seminar focused on rural leadership and rural policy issues with a dynamic discussion...
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About: Concerns for community vitality abound in communities as small as a small town in western Nebraska or an area as urban as Lincoln. There is ample evidence that the economic and educational vitality of a community is related to its general health, and especially to the community’s civic health...
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About: Although it is still true that some of the poorest communities in the U.S. are tribal communities, in the past several decades numerous American Indian tribes across the country have been developing extremely successful commercial and entrepreneurial enterprises. This economic growth is...
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About: Session 1: American Power in a Fractured World For the first session, Professor Paul Kennedy discussed the contemporary role in the 21st Century global community. His presentation touched on the themes particularly relevant to the international stage: ideological divisions, strategic decision...
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About: This Forum for Political Leadership is an effort to address the difficulties in enabling capable men and women to enter public life. Each election cycle, residents of Nebraska express concern about the shortage of candidates for both elected public office and volunteer positions, while...
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About: With ongoing United States involvement in the Middle East, South Asia, and Eastern Europe, frequent reference to the term “nation-building” is made by policymakers, commentators, and journalists. What exactly does “nation-building” mean? Why is it important? Foreign policy and international...
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About Why is it that some small towns in Nebraska thrive while others struggle? Despite persistent challenges to rural and small community economic vitality, numerous opportunities exist to implement sustainable community or entrepreneurial-based initiatives that can contribute to economic growth...
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About: This Forum for Political Leadership is an effort to address the difficulties in enabling capable men and women to enter public life. Each election cycle, residents of Nebraska express concern about the shortage of candidates for both elected public office and volunteer positions, while...
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About: The mass media, often referred to as the “Fourth Estate” of American society, fulfills an important role in American Society as a guardian to democracy and defender of public interest. Although the press has been blamed for a decline in participation and much of the cynicism leveled at the...
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About: This Forum for Political Leadership is an effort to address the difficulties in enabling capable men and women to enter public life. Each election cycle, residents of Nebraska express concern about the shortage of candidates for both elected public office and volunteer positions, while...
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About: In the past few decades, economic development for both urban and rural communities has emerged as a critical domestic policy area. The vitality of local and regional economies has become a priority issue for policymakers, especially in turbulent economic times. Yet in spite of its importance...
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About: At each level of government, education policymaking occupies more time and more resources than virtually any other policy area. It is for this reason that the historical, social, political, and economic contexts that influence education policy and which, in turn, are influenced by the nature...
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About: Being able to understand the policy process provides participants with the ability to become more effective in promoting policy issues. The purpose of this workshop was to provide participants with an understanding of the policy process in terms of the various stages, when and why certain...
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About: This Forum for Political Leadership is an effort to address the difficulties in enabling capable men and women to enter public life. Each election cycle, residents of Nebraska express concern about the shortage of candidates for both elected public office and volunteer positions, while...