E.N. Thompson Lecture to explore international religious freedom

Hastings College will host the upcoming E.N. Thompson Lecture on international religious freedom. Felice Gaer, Director of the American Jewish Committee’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, will speak on Monday, February 4 at 7 p.m.  The simulcast, originating from Lincoln, Neb., will take place in the lower level of the college’s Wilson Center (714 E. 9th St.) The event is free and open to the public.  
Gaer chairs the Leo Nevas Task Force on Human Rights of the United Nations Association of the USA and serves as vice chair of the U.N. Committee against Torture. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Her lecture is co-sponsored by the Harris Center for Judaic Studies.
The E.N. Thompson lecture series, which will focus on religion, rights and politics throughout the 2012-2013 academic year, is named in honor of E.N. “Jack” Thompson, who served as president of the Cooper Foundation from 1964 to 1990 and as its chairman from 1990 until his death in 2002. Thompson established the series to promote better understanding of world events and issues for all Nebraskans. 
The simulcasts, sponsored by the Nebraska Humanities Council and colleges and universities across the state, allow more Nebraskans to have the opportunity to benefit from outstanding speakers and community discussion. Details about the E.N. Thompson Forum are available at http://enthompson.unl.edu.