Activist David LaMotte to perform concert, hold workshop
David LaMotte
By Marlon W. Morgan
David LaMotte, a noted author, singer, speaker and peace activist, will be at Western Carolina University Thursday, Sept. 14, for a workshop and a concert, both part of the Diane Withrow Coyle Peace and Justice Fund.
The fund was established through family and friends of Diane Withrow Coyle and its purpose is to help the WCU community and the region to explore non-military, non-violent ways to foster international peace and justice.
LaMotte has presented keynotes and workshops on five continents with appearances alongside the likes of Desmond Tutu, Pete Seeger and William Barber. Further, he has presented at conferences at the Scottish Parliament, a weeklong retreat in El Salvador, Thailand, Germany, Australia, India, England, Zambia, as well as the U.S.
His primary presentation centers around world changing in which LaMotte questions prevailing narratives about how the world changes and how it does not. He encourages people to engage with the world around them and address the problems they see.
LaMotte will hold a workshop, “Worldchanging 101: Challenging the Myth of Powerlessness,” from 3-5 p.m. Sept. 14 in the Hinds University Center’s Illusions room. The workshop will target 25-50 students that are interested in peacebuilding in their curricular pursuits as well as their personal and professional lives. Students can register on Engage.
He will then host a concert at 7:30 p.m. in the UC Grandroom where he will perform and discuss his own peacebuilding work with the audience. The concert is free and open to students, faculty, staff, as well as the local community.
The event is co-sponsored by Undergraduate Studies, the College of Arts and Sciences, Student Activities, Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning, the Brinson Honors College and Department of Philosophy and Religion as part of the Jerry Jackson Lectures in the Humanities.
