Last night, Dr. Donna Hicks presented a lecture entitled “A Matter of Dignity: The Role it Plays in Resolving Conflict” at Leffler Chapel and Performance Center.

Besides being an author, Hicks is a presenter for the BBC, co-hosting “Facing the Truth” with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. She is also an associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.

Hicks’ primary message was that all interactions, whether between family members or nations, require a respect of each side’s dignity to be successful. Hicks explained that when someone’s dignity is violated, his or her response is almost always negative. The ability to establish a meaningful connection is destroyed.

The lecture was designed to introduce the basic elements of dignity and how to utilize them in everyday life to have more successful interactions between individuals and groups.