Ethics Dialogue Award contest winners to be announced Nov. 17

The Inamori International Center for Ethics & Excellence at Case Western Reserve University will honor 25 groups of students that have risen to the top of the inaugural Ethics Dialogue Award contest. The ceremony, co-sponsored by the CWRU Ethics Alliance, Center for International Affairs, Greek Life Office, and the Undergraduate Student Government, will take place in the lobby of Tomlinson Hall located between Yost Hall and Crawford Hall on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 3 p.m.

The award ceremony marks the UNESCO World Philosophy Day and celebrates International Week. Shannon French, the director of the Inamori Center, will present the awards with David Fleshler, associate provost for international affairs, and Mark Starr, the director of Greek Life Office. The award ceremony is free, open to the public and will feature exhibit-style presentation of winning essays. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with winners.

The contest ran from August 22 to September 7 and provided an opportunity for contestants to identify and articulate the most crucial ethical issues or problems confronting humanity. Responding to the call were 306 students from 11 schools and universities across 5 states including MIT, University of Montana, Ohio State University among others that joined their colleagues at institutions in northeast Ohio (Case Western Reserve and Cleveland area high schools) in this pilot exercise.

“We were surprised by the high level of participation that we achieved at this pilot phase,” said Obie Okuh, the Ethics Dialogue director and a 2011 graduate of the Case Western Reserve law school.

Following the ceremony, attendees can join the Department of Philosophy at 4:30 p.m. in 206 Clark Hall for a UNESCO World Philosophy Day lecture featuring Dr. Mariana Ortega, professor of philosophy and the Shula Chair in Philosophy at John Carroll University. Ortega will discuss the intertwining of words and images by using the work of South African born, Amsterdam- based artist Marlene Dumas.

For information, email Okuh at oco@case.edu.