BERRIEN SPRINGS — The Andrews University “Summit on Social Consciousness: Lessons from Rwanda” will take place from Wednesday through Saturday at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary and the Howard Performing Arts Center.
The summit, sponsored by the Graduate Student Association, the Seminary Student Forum, and the School of Graduate Studies, asks the question “How will I react in times of conflict?”
The keynote speaker is Carl Wilkens, cofounder of World Outside My Shoes and former Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Rwanda director. Wilkens was the only American to remain in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. Wilkens’ address will take place at the Howard Performing Arts Center at 11 a.m.  Saturday.
The Summit on Social Consciousness is based on the premise “character is not formed in a time of crisis; character in revealed in a time of crisis,” Christon Arthur, dean of the School of Graduate Studies, said.
“Therefore, it is in a time of ease that character is formed. This summit is intended to raise awareness of social injustices and discuss the Seventh-day Adventist Christian response to these injustices. It will cause us to examine ourselves and ask, if we as an academic community, are more likely to protect those who share our theological beliefs and look like us? And, are we more likely to not protect those who are different ideologically, culturally, ethnically, or otherwise? This will prod us to move beyond tolerating diversity and differences in others to accepting diversity and differences in others.”