About the Hosts

IBAVI and Spencer Center

Established in 2004, the mission of the nonprofit and nonpartisan International Beliefs and Values Institute (IBAVI) is to examine, describe, and explain the linkages between the implicit or explicit beliefs and values of individuals, groups, organizations, governments, and societies around the world and those actions, policies, or practices that are demonstrably grounded in or legitimized by these specific beliefs and values. Working with individuals, groups, institutions, and organizations around the world, the IBAVI addresses these issues through interdisciplinary scholarship, education, and service across the areas of conflict resolution, human and minority rights, sustainability, equal treatment and access, global education, and religious and cultural understanding (see www.ibavi.org).

The Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement opened in 2007 to promote engaged learning and service, both locally and internationally. The center offers a clearinghouse of community service and study or volunteer abroad opportunities, as well as service-learning and international education resources for faculty. It is also a forum for dialogue on an array of civic and global topics. The center organizes dozens of programs to support civic and global learning: guest lectures, faculty development seminars, and panel discussions on topics such as hunger, healthcare, and human rights. The Spencer Center hosts a study abroad fair and community service fair, and a bimonthly “international café” dialogue series (see http://www.mbc.edu/spencercenter/).