![University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa](/its/template/system_2019/images/uh-nameplate.png")
American historian, professor, author and civil rights expert to speak at ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Lawrence Edward Carter will speak at ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa on July 15, 2026.
The University of Hawaiﾊｻi at Mﾄ］oa will host a distinguished voice in global peace education for the special public lecture by renowned minister and scholar Lawrence Edward Carter Sr.: “Moral Courage and Nonviolent Transformation.”
, sponsored by Sokka Gakai International–USA and the Tony Group Foundation, is free and open to the community. It will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, in the Architecture Auditorium on the ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa campus. .
Interfaith dialogue, nonviolent conflict resolution
Carter, who served as the dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel and a professor of religion at Morehouse College, will retire on June 30. His work has spanned decades, focusing on the intersection of religion, ethics and nonviolence.
At Morehouse, Carter founded the Gandhi King Ikeda Institute for Ethics and Reconciliation, which facilitates interfaith dialogue; nonviolent conflict resolution based on the philosophies of Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Buddhist peacebuilder Daisaku Ikeda; and the International Hall of Honor, a gallery featuring more than 300 portraits of global leaders dedicated to civil and human rights. He is also an acclaimed author, with works including A Baptist Preacher’s Buddhist Teacher and Global Ethical Options: In the Tradition of Gandhi, King, and Ikeda.
“It is an honor for us to welcome Dr. Carter to the ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa campus at the conclusion of his storied 40-plus year career in teaching, mentoring and global engagement,” said incoming ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa Chancellor and interim Provost Vassilis. L. Syrmos. “His lifelong commitment to foster global peace education and human rights is truly remarkable.”
Conversation: nonviolent transformation, moral courage of leadership
Following Carter’s presentation, the event will transition to a panel discussion moderated by Maya Soetoro of the Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace. The panelists joining them are Brien Hallett of the Matsunaga Institute for Peace, Ann Hartman of East-West Center and Adin Strauss of Soka Gakkai International–USA. The conversation will touch upon the practical applications of nonviolent transformation in contemporary society and the role of moral courage in leadership.
After the discussion, Carter will be able to sign copies of A Baptist Preacher’s Buddhist Teacher, which will be available for purchase at the event. Furthermore, those in attendance will have the chance to secure one of five complimentary copies through a special drawing provided by the ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Bookstore.
The lecture is presented by the ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa Office of the Chancellor in coordination with the Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, with support from the Matsunaga Institute for Peace, East-West Center, ﾌﾇﾐﾄﾊﾓﾆｵ Mﾄ］oa College of Education, United Nations Association–Honolulu Chapter and Peacebuilding LLC.