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WELLESLEY, Mass. -- Nationally syndicated columnist, author, and political activist Arianna Huffington will deliver a talk titled 'Arianna's Call to Action: Revising our Democracy,' Thursday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. in 277 Science Center on the Wellesley College campus. Her talk is free and open to the public. An outspoken conservative while married to Congressman Michael Huffington (R-Calif.), her politics have seemingly taken a radical and increasingly public turn since their divorce after his failed U.S. Senate bid in 1994. Arianna Huffington has become a frequent guest on political talk shows and garnered increased exposure for her role in this summer's 'Shadow Conventions,' which focused on public policy issues and ran simultaneous to both the Republican and Democratic presidential conventions. In her latest book, How to Overthrow the Government, Huffington talks about the corruption in the political system and the need for reform. In an interview in the May issue of Insight magazine, Huffington explained her political transformation: |
 Photo courtesy of Ariannaonline.com |
"All my experiences and my constant dealing with the corruption of the system definitely have changed me. We can't just play at the margins; we have to have a fundamental overhaul. My thinking has evolved and I have become radicalized ... People think I have become disillusioned with the right and simply have evolved to the left, but that's not true. I am for changes that takes us far beyond the standard labels of right and left." Huffington's talk at Wellesley will focus the presidential election results, as well as how American democracy is in serious trouble. Her 'call to action' will offer a number of solutions to such contentious issues as campaign finance reform, new voters‚ internet activism and civil disobedience campaigns. Huffington contends that today's young people can play a vital role in bridging dangerous divides and addressing the rising tide of discontent. Young women, in particular, can make a difference by inculcating the invigorating spirit of volunteerism and service to others in their children and renewing strong families. Originally from Greece, Huffington moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with a M.A. in Economics. At 21 she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union. Her first book, The Female Woman, on the changing roles of women, was published in 1974 by Random House and translated into 11 languages; seven other books have followed. Her talk at Wellesley is sponsored by Counterpoint and Society magazines, the Department of Sociology, and Wellesley Women for Freedom. |
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Information
Last Modified: November 1, 2000
