Aug. 30, 2006
Terry Waite, a well-known humanitarian and hostage negotiator who was held captive in Beirut, Lebanon, for almost five years, will share his experiences and his views on world affairs with students at Henderson State University on Sept. 25.
Waite will speak in Arkansas Hall beginning at 7 p.m. Free tickets will first be available to Henderson Seminar students and other students required to read the book Kite Runner as part of Henderson's common book program. The remainder of the student body can pick up tickets beginning Sept. 11. On Sept. 18, any remaining tickets will be available to faculty and staff on a first come, first service basis.
Tickets can be obtained at Lea Ann Alexander's office on the first floor of Huie Library, room 110. Henderson IDs must be presented. For more information, contact Alexander by e-mail at alexande@hsu.edu.
Waite, 67, has been devoted to humanitarian causes, inter-cultural relations and conflict resolution. While serving as a special envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1980, Waite garnered international attention when he successfully negotiated the release of hostages in Iran and Libya.
Waite found himself in the hands of captors in 1987 when he was taken hostage while negotiating the release of hostages in Beirut. He was held 1,763 days, including four years in solitary confinement. He was chained to a wall, often left in darkness, beaten and subjected to mock executions.
Since his release, Waite has tirelessly devoted his time to humanitarian efforts around the world, inspiring people everywhere to create better lives for the less fortunate.
In his lectures, Waite gives audiences a perspective of world affairs founded on open communication, cooperation and a deep understanding of diverse cultures. Through his experiences in time of crisis and his participation in humanitarian causes worldwide, he has achieved a unique role on the world stage: part pragmatist, part visionary and fully dedicated to the pursuit of social justice.
Waite is the author of Taken on Trust and Footfalls in Memory: Reflections from Solitude, both of which recount his experiences in captivity. His most recent book is Travels with a Primate, a humorous account of his journeys with the Archbishop of Canterbury. Waite is also director of Education Interactive, which publishes educational programming for the Learning Channel, and is currently working on a new book about solitude.
Waite was born in Cheshire, England, on May 31, 1939. He was educated locally and received his higher education in London. After leaving college, he was appointed as education advisor to the Anglican Bishop of Bristol, England, and remained in that post until he moved to East Africa in 1969. In Uganda, he worked as provincial training adviser to the first African Anglican Archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.
He witnessed the Amin coup in Uganda and both he and his wife narrowly escaped death on several occasions. From his office in Kampala, he founded the Southern Sudan Project and was responsible for developing programs of aid and development for this war-torn region.
In 1972, he responded to an invitation to work as an international consultant to a Roman Catholic medical order and moved with his family to live in Rome. From this base he traveled extensively throughout Asia, Africa, North and South America and Europe.
In 1980, Waite was recruited by the Archbishop of Canterbury and moved to Lambeth Palace in London where he joined the Archbishop's private staff. In his capacity as advisor, he again traveled extensively throughout the world.