Micheal Flaherty (LA ‘90), co−founder of production company Walden Media, last night at a lecture in Goddard Chapel emphasized the importance of spreading literacy as a vehicle for social change.
"That's one of the things we try to do at Walden Media, putting good stories in people's hands and giving people the opportunity to read," Flaherty said.
Flaherty was speaking at the final installment of the Goddard Chapel Forum on Religion and Media lecture series.
Walden Media publishes books for children and develops educational materials for reading education. It also produces films, most famously the movie versions of some of the books in C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" series.
Citing statistics illustrating the problem of illiteracy in the United States, Flaherty stressed that an important goal for religious groups is the attainment of full literacy.
"I think that is the next great thing that believers should dedicate themselves to −− achieving 100 percent literacy," Flaherty said. "To get people reading is something we really need to get focused on."
He shared his experiences tutoring children and his revelation that media can be used to educate children.
"I would always ask the [kids] what they had done that weekend, and they would always tell me they saw something on TV or that they had seen a movie," he said. "I began to think it would be pretty amazing if people dedicated themselves to making movies that would make history come alive for kids."
Flaherty said he worked a number of jobs following his graduation from college that influenced his thinking about faith and education.
"They opened up my eyes to the injustices that were happening," he said. "A lot of the people who are shaping the way children's imaginations develop right now … don't really care about children at all."
Flaherty noted that his approach to faith, which emphasizes the importance of grace, drives his work at Walden Media. "The best way to learn about faith is to talk about it through stories."
He cited a Walden Media film about John Newton, an eighteenth century slave dealer−turned−abolitionist, as an example of using media to effect change. "By changing people's minds, [Newton] was able to change the law," Flaherty said. "Stories can change a culture ... What's important is just to be involved in stories, and everything follows from there."
Flaherty also spoke about his affinity with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, whose work "Walden Pond" (1854) inspired the name of his company. "I love … [their idea] that faith is all about living life deliberately, living life with purpose," he said.
Flaherty also gave the audience advice on the importance of live life after college to the fullest. "Travel, explore and volunteer," he said.
University Chaplain David O'Leary said that he asked Flaherty to speak as the "lynchpin" in the yearlong lecture series because of his work with faith and media.
"He's someone [who would speak] on the theme of religion … and he's someone who had blended faith with modern media," O'Leary said.
He praised Flaherty and his associates at Walden Media for the work that they have done with educational media. "They have really bridged the gap between education and media with ... [their films]," O'Leary said.
Walden Media was also behind the movie versions of "How to Eat Fried Worms" (2006) and "Charlotte's Web" (2006). Upcoming films include "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (2010) and a film interpretation of Beverly Cleary's "Beezus and Ramona" (2010).
Flaherty said that from its inception, Walden Media was focused on creating movies that sparked children's imagination. "We wanted to make films that got kids excited about education," he said.
Freshman Demi Marks, who attended the event, said that the lecture was "very interesting."
"The whole grace thing is something I never really thought about … so having this hour of a break to just sort of listen and grapple with things, it was great," Marks said.
