Raoul Contreras believes in peace, and he will speak about it at 7:30 p.m. today at the Holmes Student Center’s Heritage Room.

As a professor of Latino Studies at Indiana University Northwest, Contreras also works as a political activist.

The Chicago anti-war movement will be a subject of discussion for Contreras, as well as his experience with the Chicago Moratorium.

Sylvia Fuentes, director of University Resources for Latinos at NIU, said the Chicago Moratorium is a historic anti-Vietnam War demonstration.

“Dr. Contreras will be challenging our personal and professional frameworks,” she said.

Fuentes said Contreras’ words are a strong message to students.

“Dr. Contreras became an activist in Chicago’s anti-war movement in the late 1960s,” Fuentes said. “Contreras is planning to speak about the similarities between the United States’ war on Vietnam, and the contemporary U.S. militarism, and efforts to progressively construct an anti-imperialist movement in opposition to the ‘War on Terrorism.’ I feel that it is important to present different perspectives to our NIU community.”

Fuentes also said that it is important for students to hear Contreras’ views because they are diverse.

“Dr. Contreras is vocal about his views on war, and he states that people are surprised to find out that he is a combat-decorated Vietnam veteran,” Fuentes said.

Society cannot support veterans enough, Fuentes said.

“I do not see myself as trying to share my views and my thoughts as much as I am trying to promote diversity in perspectives within my role as director,” she said. “We cannot always stay in our comfort zone. I always tell my students, ‘without discomfort, there is no growth.’”