Talk to Strangers: Creating a Welcoming America at KSU
Event: Talk to Strangers: Creating a Welcoming America at KSU
When: Tuesday, November 7, 2017, from 6:30 PM to 7:45 PM.
Where: Prillaman Hall 1000 (auditorium) for the presentation, followed by further discussion and conversation in Prillaman Indoor Plaza (room 1001).
On Tuesday, November 7, from 6:30 PM to 7:45 PM, in Prillaman Hall 1000 (Auditorium),
join us for a discussion with David Lubell, founder and Executive Director of Welcoming
America, a global nonprofit headquartered in Decatur, Georgia. Welcoming America,
established in 2009, works in over 100 cities and towns across the country, supporting
nonprofits and local governments to transform their communities into inclusive places
where everyone thrives. Mr. Lubell will speak about the welcoming movement and what
universities and students are doing to ensure that their communities are building
a stronger future together. Following the presentation, there will be time for further
discussion and conversation in the Prillaman Indoor Plaza.
Mr. Lubell was previously the founder and Executive Director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC). At TIRRC Mr. Lubell helped found Welcoming Tennessee, the model for what is now Welcoming America. Mr. Lubell’s award-winning concept has gained recognition nationally and internationally. The White House honored Welcoming America and ten of its leaders as White House Welcoming America Champions of Change for their innovations in immigrant integration. In 2014 the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and BMW Group distinguished Welcoming America as a recipient of their Intercultural Innovation Award, honoring its work in promoting intercultural understanding.
A Wesleyan University graduate, Mr. Lubell received a master’s degree in public administration
from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Mr. Lubell is a recipient of several
social entrepreneurship fellowships, including those from Ashoka, Draper Richards
Kaplan and Harvard. He is also a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and was
named to the 2016 Chronicle of Philanthropy's 40 under 40 list. In 2016, he also gave
a TEDxBerlin Talk to highlight the importance of welcoming newcomers and received
the Ohtli Award, one of the highest awards given by the Government of Mexico to those
who work with the Mexican community abroad. Most recently, Mr. Lubell was selected
as the recipient of the prestigious 2017 Charles Bronfman Award.
The event is sponsored by the School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development, and TRENDS Global (Transnational Research and Engagement in Diverse Societies), and co-sponsored by the Department of Geography and Anthropology, the Department of Social Work and Human Services, the Presidential Commission on Racial & Ethnic Dialogue, and the Georgia Immigration Research Network.
Event Co-Organizers: Dr. Volker Franke, KSU School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development at KSU; Dr. Darlene Xiomara Rodriguez, KSU Department of Social Work and Human Services; Dr. Paul N. McDaniel, KSU Department of Geography and Anthropology.
August 28 article about the event in The Sentinel: “Immigration, integration expert to visit campus.”
