Love Changes Things...Even in the World of Politics

Caroline Cottom (CLC '64) will discuss her new book, Love Changes Things...Even in the World of Politics, based on her experiences of taking unconditional love into the halls of Congress, the United Nations and the former Soviet Union. Cottom is the former director of the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign and the campaign to end nuclear test explosions in the Nevada desert, an effort involving 75 national organizations that brought an end to U.S. nuclear testing in 1992.

After graduating from California Lutheran in 1964, Cottom became a classroom teacher and writer. In 1978, she obtained a Ph.D. in educational policy and worked with the Nashville Tennessee Public School system as well as Common Cause-Tennessee. In time, quite unexpectedly, she found herself in Washington, D.C., involved in the politics of nuclear arms control.

Cottom was coaxed into the political arena by dozens of dreams and a sense of God/Spirit talking in her ear. She was led to build relationships based on unconditional love with members of Congress and two U.S. administrations, defense analysts, Soviet officials, and others including Al Gore, Jr., in his roles as U.S. representative, senator and finally vice president. These relationships were crucial to the campaign's success. The U.S. signed a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996. Since then, Cottom has carried her spiritual-political work to Fiji, Ecuador and Mexico.

Light refreshments and a book signing will follow the presentation. Admission is free.