A social justice dialogue and candlelight vigil to commemorate the lives lost on 9/11 will be held Thursday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. in Cannon Chapel.

Volunteer Emory is sponsoring this event for the victims of the 2001 attacks as part of its social justice dialogues series.

"Although we have done 9/11 social justice dialogues in the past, they have always been connected with a 9/11 Day of Service," says Volunteer Emory's Emilia Truluck. "However, this year, we have adjusted our days of service and are making a point to hold more social justice dialogues."

The dialogue will be led by Christine Ristaino, senior lecturer in the Department of French and Italian Studies.

"We plan to engage our community on the topic of violence itself at the 9/11 event. Everyone in our community has been affected by violence, either directly or indirectly — recent violence in Ferguson, unrest in the Middle East, new laws around rape on college campuses, and on-going reports of school shootings, to name just a few," Ristaino says.

"The pieces our students have chosen to read about 9/11 during the discussion are powerful and layered. They will help us begin the conversation on how all members of our community can bear witness to each other's personal stories about violence," Ristaino continues. "The final goal is to create a deeper understanding of our individual and collective experiences of violence in order to move forward together toward change."

Truluck says this is the first of a series of social justice dialogues that Volunteer Emory will host this year, "reflecting our new commitment as an organization to both providing volunteer opportunities and creating social justice dialogues."

For more information, visit Volunteer Emory or contact Truluck.