Summit of Sages

The 2007 Summit of Sages conference, held October 14-16, in St. Paul, Minnesota, was attended by over 500 participants who responded to the opportunity to share and renew commitments to health care and social justice.

The conference was launched on Sunday afternoon with keynote speaker Maya Angelou.  Dr. Angelou, author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and other best-sellers, is one of the great voices of contemporary literature, a Renaissance woman with the unique ability to shatter the barriers of race and class. A passionate and powerful speaker, Dr. Angelou challenged her audience to invest their spirits and hearts in the elevation of the human condition.

A moving moment came at the conclusion of Dr. Angelou's keynote, when she received the University's honorary doctorate of humane letters degree. She dedicated the reading of her poem, "A Brave and Startling Truth," to the School of Nursing.  Click here to view the photo, story and poem.

On Monday, October 15, five Sages, some of whom are internationally known and some are those "who walk among us," spoke to their work that seeks to correct some of the inequities that burden individuals, families and communities. The Twin Cities Women's Choir presented songs of affirmation at the Monday evening banquet to celebrate the work that nurses are doing around the world. On Tuesday, the conference concluded with self-reflection and a powerful message for a "next first step."

Links:

• Theme of Social Justice
• Summit Speakers and Sages