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The Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture Series

In sponsoring the Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture Series, the Burkle Center for International Relations celebrates the memory of Daniel Pearl as a prominent journalist who dedicated his life to bringing joy and understanding to the world.  Past guests have included Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, Daniel Schorr of NPR, Jeff Greenfield of CNN and Larry King of CNN.

Daniel Pearl graduated from Stanford University in 1985 with Phi Beta Kappa honors and went on to work at the Indianapolis Star, the North Adams Transcript, the Berkshire Eagle, the San Francisco Business Times and eventually the Wall Street Journal. In October of 2000, Danny and his wife moved to Bombay, where Danny became the South Asia Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal. It was from Bombay that Danny covered the "war on terrorism," occasionally venturing into Pakistan.

The world came to know Daniel Pearl as the Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan in early 2002, just four months after 9/11. For weeks, millions around the world -- from heads of state, to religious leaders and ordinary people -- rallied for Danny's release. Since then, he has been remembered as a symbol of hope: a man who built bridges between diverse cultures -- as a writer and a gifted musician.

Following his murder, Danny's family and friends established the Daniel Pearl Foundation to carry on his legacy, using music and words to address the root causes of the hatred that took his life. The book "At Home in the World" published in June 2002, features 50 of Danny's best articles, illustrating his curiosity, humor, fairness and his love of humanity. Read some of Danny's Wall Street Journal stories online.

Established in 2002, the Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture Series celebrates the life and memory of Daniel Pearl, a prominent journalist who dedicated his life to bringing joy and understanding to the world. This annual lecture series in Journalism and International Relations is given each year by scholars, journalists or policy makers who have contributed original analyses or constructive approaches to problems of international concern.

Upcoming Talk

Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture feat. Christopher Hitchens

Wednesday, March 3, 2010
5:00 pm (Doors open at 4:30 pm)
Korn Convocation Hall
UCLA Anderson School of Management
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Parking available in Lot 4.

Christopher Hitchens is one of the English-speaking world's best-known commentators on contemporary thought, politics and culture. In the four decades since he earned his honors degree in philosophy, politics and economics from Cambridge and Balliol College, Oxford, he has written well over a dozen books, corresponded from more than 60 countries, and contributed prolifically to English and American publications. He emigrated from England in 1981 and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2007. Currently, he contributes regularly or frequently to The New York Review of Books, The London Review of Books, The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post Book World, The Times Literary Supplement, The Los Angeles Times Book Review, National Review, Dissent, Free Inquiry, New Left Review, and The Atlantic Monthly. Among numerous honors for his reporting and the literary quality of his prose, Hitchens took a National Magazine Award and was a finalist for a National Book Award, both in 2007. His essays have been collected in four volumes. Hitchens is also a regular television and radio commentator.

About the Daniel Pearl Foundation

The Daniel Pearl Foundation has been formed by Danny's family and friends to continue Danny's mission and to address the root causes of this tragedy, in the spirit, style, and principles that shaped Danny's work and character. These principles include uncompromised objectivity and integrity; insightful and unconventional perspective; tolerance and respect for people of all cultures; unshaken belief in the effectiveness of education and communication; and the love of music, humor, and friendship.

Learn more about the Daniel Pearl Foundation

Upcoming Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture

Previous Presenters of the Daniel Pearl Memorial Lecture

• 2008-2009: Anderson Cooper, CNN's AC360°, "A 360° Look at World Events: A Conversation with Anderson Cooper". (This event was co-sposonsed by UCLA Hillel & the UCLA Hillel Student Association)
  Learn more here »
• 2007-2008: David Brooks, NY Times, "Journalism and World Culture". (This event was co-sposonsed by UCLA Hillel)
  Learn more here »
• 2006 - 2007: Ted Koppel, former Anchor/Managing Editor, ABC News' "Nightline." (This event was sponsored by UCLA Hillel.)
  Read the UCLA Daily Bruin article
• 2005 - 2006: Larry King, Journalist/Broadcaster, CNN, "The Art and Science of the Interview: Musings About Everything." (This event was sponsored by UCLA Hillel.)
  Read the Daniel Pearl Foundation article
• 2004 - 2005: Jeff Greenfield, Journalist/Broadcaster, CNN, "Beyond Media Bias: Are You Part of the Problem?" (This event was sponsored by UCLA Hillel.)
  Read the UCLA Daily Bruin article
• 2003-2004: Daniel Schorr, Reporter/News Analyst, NPR, "America and the World." (This event was sponsored by UCLA Hillel.)
  Listen to Daniel Schorr read an excerpt from his remarks
  Read the UCLA Daily Bruin article
• 2002 - 2003: Thomas Friedman, Columnist, The New York Times, "American Foreign Policy and the Middle East." (This event was sponsored by UCLA Hillel.)