Friday marks the beginning of the fifth annual ATLAS Week, which promotes "Global Peace, Global Justice." This year there will be more than 40 events covering a wide variety of globalization issues and involving about 20 academic departments at Saint Louis University.

With so many events occurring, extensive planning was required to organize the various speakers and panels that will take place next week. Planning for ATLAS Week commenced eight months ago, and the committees have been working intensely to prepare for the week's events.

"We usually start planning in August, but we have found that isn't early enough, so we will start even sooner for next year," said Michelle Lorenzini, Ph.D., who is one of the head organizers of ATLAS Week.

One of the reasons this year has a multitude of events is because many departments proposed and organized their own events.

"This is the first year that departments have taken the initiative and planned so many events," said Lorenzini.

As a result of departments and students spearheading more events, ATLAS Week has grown immensely since its first year back in 2000. Now, a wider range of events are available and better-known speakers will be presenting.

"The first year we only had six or eight events, and now we have over 40. Over the years the students have put together their own panels; this year we have four student panels, and we only had two last year," Lorenzini said.

Planning for a speaker can be a very time-consuming activity because it takes a long time for prospective speakers to respond with their availability schedule, and it is common for planned speakers to fall through.

"We are on our third keynote speaker [Dr. Oscar Arias Sanchez] this year. He's not our third choice by any means, but that just shows how hard it is to book speakers," Lorenzini said.

In addition to Arias, each department has a big event to showcase their focus topic.

The international studies department has organized various events affiliated with the topic of globalization and Christianity in Latin America. Fr. Gonzalo Arroyo, S.J., from Alberto Hurtado University in Chile will be a key event.

"I met [Fr. Arroyo] when I was in Chile and invited him to be a key speaker because of his unique position in Latin America, and he is one of the leading intellectuals in Chile today," said Paul Garcia, Ph.D., director of international studies.

Arroyo is expected to present a controversial view on the meaning of Christianity and engage in extensive discussion surrounding economic activities.

"He is a key speaker because he is an economist in the Center of Latin American Studies, which is one of the best in the world," Garcia said.

In addition to the international studies department presenting Arroyo, the College of Public Service has organized multiple events, especially those concerning international adoption.

"Several of our events involve faculty who are doing research and students who are doing the same," said Mary Domahidy of the College of Public Service.

The College of Public Service aims to involve students more actively in some of their events, specifically their presentation about the idea of immediacy and images that will be on Tuesday at 3 p.m.

"We want people to come and take part in the discussion and not just be an observer," Domahidy said.

Furthermore, the College of Public Service has many students that organized the panel themselves. All the work that various professors and students have contributed to the production of ATLAS Week should help make it a success.

"Each year ATLAS Week gets better. This is the second year we have had Nobel Peace Prize recipients come to speak, and these are very historic moments here at SLU," Domahidy said.