Consistent Life Ethic Speakers

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speakers list

Need someone to speak to your group from a consistent life ethic perspective? We have compiled this list of a number of such speakers. Speakers come from different backgrounds, different perspectives on the consistent life ethic, and different geographic areas. We hope you will find one that is just right for your occasion.

Please contact speakers directly about speaking possibilities. All speakers speak from their personal perspectives. Views they express are not necessarily endorsed by Consistent Life. However, we have endeavored to include only people committed to the consistent life ethic.

Can you speak from a consistent life ethic perspective? If interested in being added to this list, please send the kinds of information presented below for speakers, and evidence of your commitment to the consistent life ethic, to Bill Samuel. Generally, we would like to see a text or outline of a speech related to the consistent life ethic, or something you have published on the subject.

(Speakers listed in alphabetical order)

Carol N. Crossed Board member, Consistent Life
Contact Information	1675 Clover St. Rochester, NY 14618 585-442-8497 ccrossed@rochester.rr.com
Background Topics Audiences	Pro-life Democrats and feminists are the groups I choose to speak to. Possible topics include: Consistency in ethics and issues: What's it all about? Feminists against abortion and other political anomalies Creating unity in a fragmented world
Honorarium	Negotiable depending upon venue; honorarium will go to Consistent Life
Geographic Area	New York State preferred

James R. Kelly Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Fordham University
Contact Information	3 78th St. Brooklyn, NY 11209 718-745-3747 James R. Kelly
Background Topics Audiences	History of the consistent ethic of life with special reference to the role of Cardinal Bernardin and the peace pastoral of 1983. I also reflect on keeping the prolife spirit alive when it is clear there will always be legal abortion in the US and elsewhere. I'd speak to any group, simply making adjustments.
Honorarium	Travel (including lodging when needed) plus a meal (and a drink) with those who invited me.
Geographic Area	Anywhere

Rachel M. MacNair, Ph.D. Vice President, Consistent Life Director, Institute for Integrated Social Analysis
Contact Information	811 E. 47th St. Kansas City, MO 64110 816-753-2057 rachel_macnair@yahoo.com
Background Topics Audiences	My major in college was Peace and Conflict Studies. Having gotten my Ph.D. in psychology, I have published extensively on Perpetration-Induced Traumatic Stress, that form of post-trauma symptoms that comes from the various kinds of killing. I've also written an introductory text in peace psychology. Since 1999, I have been Director of the research arm of Consistent Life (the Institute for Integrated Social Analysis) and have recently co-edited an anthology on the consistent life ethic. I also served for ten years as president of Feminists for Life of America (1984-1994), where I did over a hundred radio interviews in addition to many live speaking engagements, and co-edited an anthology on historic and current pro-life feminism. A full list of my published books is at www.rachelmacnair.com/books. My range of topics includes pro-life feminism, killing as trauma, peace psychology, and academic aspects of the consistent life ethic.
Honorarium	$1,000 for colleges and universities or if international travel required $300 for peace groups, prolife groups, similar social justice groups, or if paid by student groups Honorarium negotiable
Geographic Area	Whole world

Anthony J. Masalonis, Ph.D. (Tony) Board member and Educational Resources Chair, Consistent Life
Contact Information	tonym@consistent-life.org
Background Topics Audiences	Have volunteered for crisis pregnancy centers as a counselor and support technician Have volunteered for antiwar organizations as newsletter and outreach staff Participate in letter-writing campaigns to save death row prisoners Roman Catholic, experienced in both Catholic and secular witness to the value of all life Can share personal stories attesting to the value of lives spared from abortion and euthanasia Interested in putting the Consistent Life Ethic into action in addition to talking about it
Honorarium	Negotiable depending upon venue; honorarium will go to Consistent Life.
Geographic Area	New Jersey or NYC or Philly areas almost any time, anywhere east of the Mississippi on a weekend with notice, others negotiable.

Mary Meehan Writer
Contact Information	223 Race St. Cumberland, MD 21502 301-759-2992 Meehan20@verizon.net
Background Topics Audiences	Background: Participation in antiwar work in the late 1960s was my activist introduction to life issues. Then I had experience in the movements against abortion and the death penalty and in the consistent-life movement. On a personal level, I was involved in aid to elderly people, including two who had serious mental illness as well as physical frailty conditions that too often lead to suicide or euthanasia. I have addressed all of these issues as a writer and public speaker. Topics: Why Liberals and Feminists Should Defend the Unborn Why Conservatives Should Be Antiwar a combination of the first two topics A Dozen Reasons to Oppose the Death Penalty How to Outfox the Grim Reaper (suicide prevention) Touching Hearts and Changing Minds on Life Issues Writing for Life Wouldn't You Prefer a Nonviolent Solution? Many other topics are listed and described on my website. Audiences: I speak most often at colleges and universities, but am happy to address other groups as well.
Honorarium	$600 plus travel costs. (For a conference, I'm happy to do both a major talk and a workshop--at no extra charge. For a campus, I can do the same--or even two major talks on one trip.) The honorarium is negotiable; occasionally I can waive it altogether, provided that all travel costs are covered.
Geographic Area	No restrictions, as long as travel costs are covered!

Mary Rider Co-Founder & Advisory Board member, Consistent Life
Contact Information	124 Perdue St. Garner, NC 27529 919-779-1912 ConsistentLife@aol.com
Background Topics Audiences	I have a long history of working in the consistent life movement. In 1983 I became co-coordinator of Prolifers for Survival, the forerunner of the Seamless Garment Network, which I helped to form in 1987. In 1998 I became the director of SGN which later changed its name to Consistent Life. I am able to speak to Christian groups, especially Catholic ones, on the consistent life ethic, its history and its relevance today. I have lived in a Catholic Worker house (which I helped found with my husband and a Dominican sister) since 1991, so can speak about the CW ideals (which are in line with the consistent life ethic) as well. I am able to speak to audiences of all ages and faiths. I am the mother of 8 children, one of whom has Down Syndrome and am happy to speak about parenting issues and disability issues. I have a Masters degree in Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill and work as a home health social worker with chronically ill people of all ages.
Honorarium	Dependent on length of travel, starting at $200 Honorarium negotiable
Geographic Area	Whole world

Bill Samuel President, Consistent Life
Contact Information	701 King Farm Blvd., Apt. 134 Rockville, MD 20850-6168 240-477-8827 (home); 301-943-6406 (cell) president@consistent-life.org
Background Topics Audiences	I became active in the peace and civil rights movements while still a child, and later felt led to include pro-life work on abortion (see my Reflections on Personal Discernment: The Abortion Issue paper). My involvement in these issues comes out of my Christian faith. For much of my life, I was active in the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and held leadership positions from the local to the international level. I have worked for a number of years at formation of independent, Quaker-oriented, missional faith communities. I have also spent some time in a charismatic church, in an unaffiliated “emerging church”, and in a radical Christian church part of the Church of the Saviour network. I can speak on respect for the dignity and value of all human life, Gospel Nonviolence, and why Christians are called to positions affirming of life and human dignity on all issues. In addition, I can speak to those dedicated to peace as to why they should also work for protecting the unborn, and those dedicated to the pro-life cause on abortion why they should also work on peace.
Honorarium	Negotiable; could be either fixed or free-will offering. Honorarium will go to Consistent Life. If travel involved, would also need travel expenses, as well as hospitality or lodging and food expenses for longer trips.
Geographic Area	Primarily within a few hours of the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area, but can sometimes travel much longer distances.

Scott Schaeffer-Duffy Peace & Social Justice Activist
Contact Information	Saints Francis & Therese Catholic Worker 52 Mason St. Worcester, MA 01610 508-753-3588 theresecw@gmail.com
Background Topics Audiences	I have been a peace activist since 1978. I have a degree in religious studies from Holy Cross College.I am married with 4 children. My wife and I have been members of the Catholic Worker movement since 1982. I have been involved in many peace campaigns here in the United States and in other countries, including Nicaragua, Bosnia, Israel/Palestine, Iraq, India, Northern Ireland, and Darfur, Sudan. I give slide presentations about the reality of violence and the effectiveness and power of nonviolence. I can address a religious or secular audience. I have been invited to speak at many colleges, universities, high schools, and other public venues. I include opposition to abortion, the death penalty, and euthanasia, in my presentations which focus predominantly on war and genocide.
Honorarium	I have no set fee. I need travel expenses and leave any honorarium beyond that up to the inviting group.
Geographic Area	If travel expenses are provided, and my schedule allows, I will go anywhere in the US and Canada. On rare occasions I have given presentations overseas (in Ireland and Germany).

Stephen Zunes Professor of Politics, University of San Francisco
Contact Information	820 Western Dr. Santa Cruz, CA 95060 415-422-6981 zunes@usfca.edu
Background Topics Audiences	Topics: abortion, its causes and finding real choices: perspectives of a pro-life leftist strategic nonviolent action as an alternative to war nonviolent alternatives to the threat from terrorism nonviolent options for Israeli-Palestinian peace finding common ground on polarizing issues: Israel/Palestine and abortion Audiences: Quakers Episcopalians other unconvinced but open-minded groups
Honorarium	$100 to $1500, depending on the audience, the sponsors' resources and travel time Honorarium negotiable
Geographic Area	Anywhere, though would need to have travel costs covered and would ask for a higher honorarium to compensate for travel time.

Campus Consistent Life Speakers from Life Matters Journal

Life Matters Journal, a consistent life ethic journal aimed mainly at youth, offers speakers to campus groups. See their listing for details.