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Omega Institute

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Ubaka Hill

Profiles In Courage
In each of us, there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone. —John F. Kennedy

At the close of his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy wrote about how stories of courage "can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration." Anyone who heard Christopher Reeve speak at Omega's Being Fearless conference in 2004 will attest to the power of one person's courageous story to teach and inspire hope. This year, Omega is bringing four ordinary, yet heroic people to the conference to share their stories of courage—stories about overcoming hardships and turning difficult times into courageous acts of service and love. Before each keynote talk we will meet one of these extraordinary people and hear their profile of courage.

Profiles In Courage
Shelley Saywell is an independent documentary filmmaker whose subject matter has consistently focused on issues of human rights. Her 10 films include Kim's Story: The Road from Vietnam; the Emmy Award-winning Crimes of Honour; and A Child's Century of War, which was short-listed for the 2003 Academy Awards.

Keynote
Malcolm Gladwell
Change, Intuition & Fearlessness
With his two New York Times #1 best-selling books, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference, and Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell is changing the way people do business—and live their lives. In this keynote, he gives us new tools to understand how and why change happens and explores how we can learn to be better at mastering the kind of instantaneous thinking at the heart of successful decision-making. Drawing on ground-breaking research in psychology, sociology, and neurology, as well as on lessons from professional athletes, surgeons, and musicians, Gladwell helps us tap into the components of intuitive expertise as a powerful resource that can guide us to lead more confident, fearless lives.
CE credit available.

Keynote
Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr.
Overcoming the Spirit of Fear
Fear is a gift of nature for our survival. What is destructive is the spirit of fear, which consumes and immobilizes us even when there is no specific menace. We must overcome the spirit of fear by cultivating the confidence that thoughtfulness, courage, and solidarity can enable us to face and overcome every obstacle. Senior minister at the famed Riverside Church in Manhattan, the Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr. is one of the nation's most remarkable, effective, and charismatic preachers. He offers this keynote to end our day and set our course for the weekend.