The Cora di Brazzà Foundation Announces 2026 Memory Parlor: Shadow of Intention

An interdisciplinary exploration of intention, action, and moral practice on the 250th anniversary of U.S. Independence

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, May 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Cora di Brazzà Foundation (CDBF) is pleased to announce its 2026 Memory Parlor, to be held July 22–23, 2026, at the Philadelphia Masonic Temple. Inspired by the ancient “Art of Memory,” the 2026 Parlor explores the theme of “Shadow of Intention”—a polysemous concept that illuminates a range of morally significant moments in peace and justice history and philosophy. Registration is required, and can be done at the event's website: shadowofitention.com

The year 2026 marks several important anniversaries: the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the 125th anniversary of the birth of Korean philosopher Ham Sok Hon (1901–1989), the 30th anniversary of the International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons, and the 25th anniversary of the death of philosopher G. E. M. Anscombe (1919–2001). Anscombe’s landmark work "Intention" deepened philosophical reflection on the relationship between intention and action, while also intensifying the moral force of her critique of President Harry S. Truman’s decision to use atomic bombs in 1945, articulated in her essay “Mr. Truman’s Degree,” published seventy years ago in 1956. Together, these commemorations serve as the principal conceptual anchors for this year’s gathering.

The first day of the Parlor (July 22, 2026) will focus on narratives that illuminate the relationship between intention and the ideals articulated in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Those ideals—grounded in the equality and natural rights of all persons—inspired later declarations written in response to the gap between the aspirations of 1776 and the realities of political and social life. The various “Declarations of Sentiments” advanced by abolitionist, peace, and suffrage movements in the nineteenth century drew inspiration from the Declaration while also extending and refining its moral claims. John Brown’s 1859 “Declaration of Liberty,” which pushed these questions still further in ways that continue to invite moral and political reflection in the nuclear age, will also be explored on Day 1.

The second day of the Parlor (July 23, 2026) will turn eastward, examining how philosophical traditions ranging from Buddhist ethics to the thought of Ham Sok Hon understand intention, moral commitment, and the public declaration of ethical principles. Buddhist ethics identifies “right intention” as a central component of the Noble Eightfold Path and employs symbolic, contemplative, and ethical practices to assist in its cultivation. Ham Sok Hon’s July 4, 1953 poem “The Great Declaration,” together with the 1976 Myeongdong Declaration—for which he and other peace and democracy advocates were imprisoned—extended these concerns in ways that linked truth, creativity, conscience, independence, and moral responsibility.

On both days, a rare copy of Violet Oakley’s folio, “The Holy Experiment,” will be on display. Published in 1922 in a limited edition of only 500 copies, the folio contains twenty-two color reproductions of the monumental mural cycles created by Violet Oakley for the Pennsylvania State Capitol. Together, the images present Oakley’s sweeping moral and political vision of the United States—one grounded in conscience, unity, justice, and the pursuit of peace through law. For Oakley, these were not merely American ideals, but universal principles that she believed should undergird a more united and humane world order.

Particularly striking is Oakley’s willingness to confront some of the deepest contradictions in American history. Her visual narrative challenges depictions of Native Americans as “savages,” language that appears in the 1776 Declaration itself. She also critiques conquest, militarism, slavery, and human bondage. In doing so, Oakley offered an unusually expansive and self-critical interpretation of American ideals in the early twentieth century.

Participants will have the rare opportunity to experience the prints together in a single contemplative space, allowing them to walk among the images and encounter the folio much as Oakley intended: as an immersive visual narrative inviting reflection upon history, moral aspiration, and the possibility of human unity.

Featured Speakers include:

Clifton Truman Daniel — Author and public historian, grandson of President Harry S. Truman
Bum Sun Jun — Korean artist, philosopher, and entrepreneur
Guy Newland — Specialist in Buddhist philosophy and ethics
Won Kwang Paik — Scholar of East Asian political thought
Stephen Rapp — International War Crimes Prosecutor, Former U.S. Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice
Sandra Weber — Author of recent works on John Brown and the ethics of abolitionist resistance

About the Memory Parlor
The Cora di Brazzà Foundation’s Memory Parlor is an annual interdisciplinary gathering dedicated to “connecting fragmented narratives” in peace and justice history and philosophy. Each year’s theme explores central moral concepts through objects, texts, images, and ideas that invite participants into a shared space of reflection, dialogue, and ethical formation.

Hope Elizabeth May
The Cora di Brazzà Foundation
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