Room here. Great to see so many members and sponsors and our board. Thanks for joining us here and welcome to trucon 2019. [applause] i am so glad youre hear with us today and i am especially grateful to those of you who traveled a great distance to be here. Thank you. Before we get underway i want to take a moment to thank those who helped make this event and so much of this possible. Were fortunate to be supported by sponsors in the work we do and the world we seek a create. Bob abernathy, Carnegie Corporation of new york, john d and kathyrn macarthur, and others, and with em to herb to the truman for over a decade. Mr. Sandler passed away and i was happy to have met him a few weeks ago. We are not just grateful for their continued investment since 2008, but the willingness to lead by example in funding and guiding the full fight for likemined organizations. Id like to thank board members, alvin, steven bailey, jake sullivan, john finer, matt spence. Franklin templeton investment. Gu
Thank you. Before we get underway, i want to take a moment to thank those who helped make this event and so much of our work possible. We are fortunate to be supported by a range of sponsors, who are partners, really, in the work that we do and the world that we seek to create. Thank you to our conference sponsors, bob abernathy, the Carnegie Corporation of new york, compton foundation, Craig Newmark philanthropies, the john d. And catherine t. Macarthur foundation, open society foundation, the sandler foundation, and here i just want to take a moment and recognize Herb Sandlers support to the Truman Community for over a decade. Mr. Sandler passed away just last week, and i am so glad to have met him just a few weeks ago. We are grateful not just for their continued investment in our Organization Since 2008, but for their willingness to lead by example in funding and guiding the good fight for a wide range of likeminded organizations. I would like to thank Board Members, john driscoll,
This is a goodlooking room. Welcome to trucon 2019. [applause] great to see so manys and members and sponsors and our board. Thanks so much for joining us here and welcome to trucon 2019. [applause] jenna i am so glad youre here with us today, and i am especially grateful to those of you who traveled a great distance to be here. Thank you. Before we get underway, i want to take a moment to thank those who helped make this event and so much of our work possible. We are fortunate to be supported by a range of sponsors, who are partners, really, in the work that we do and the world that we seek to create. Thank you to our conference sponsors, bob abernathy, the Carnegie Corporation of new york, compton foundation, Craig Newmark philanthropies, the john d. And catherine t. Macarthur foundation, open society foundation, the sandler foundation, and here i just want to take a moment and recognize Herb Sandlers support to the Truman Community for over a decade. Mr. Sandler passed away just las
Welcome. Im bob abernathy. Its good to have you with us for our annual look ahead at what the top religion and ethics stories of the new year may be. E. J. Dionne is here. Hes a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution in california, a columnist for the washington post, and professor at georgetown university. Kevin eckstrom is the Religion News service, and kim lawton is the managing editor of this program. Welcome to you all. Lets begin with that terrible terrible situation in the middle east with isis and whether it can be brought under control or defeated. Who wants to predict anything there . Its one of the Big Questions the International Community is going to have to continue struggling with in this year is how to stop isis. And for the u. S. , unfortunately, that means i think some very difficult political debates about increasing the military operations there. And its interesting that in the past weve had some more debates about moral implications of u. S. Actions and i dont
And private Family Foundation dedicated to the interest in religion, Community Development and education. Additional funding also provided by mutual of america. Designing customized individual and Group Retirement products. Welcome, im bob abernathy. Some are calling a hanukkah miracle. Alan gross arrived safely in the u. S. This week after five years of imprisonment in cube a. The 65yearold gross, a jewish aid worker had been jailed on charges of espionage although he maintained his innocence. The Jewish Council was among the many groups welcoming his release. Gross thanked all those who prayed for him and said he would use his freedoms for good. We must never forget the two pillars, freedom and responsibility. Im incredibly blessed finally to have the freedom to resume a positive and constructively life. Grosss release came as the u. S. And cuba announced a new era of normalized relations ending 50 years of hostility. The white house met pope francis and was instrumental in persuadin