Fall 2022 Peace Week

Format: Virtual 

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Much political tension and contested memory runs between Congo and Rwanda. Recent peace talks and the resurgence of militias like M23, underscore persistent discrimination of minorities and selective state memory of past atrocities. Furthermore, the interaction of diasporas with populations and governments back home further complicates marginalization. This panel discusses the intersecting issues of transnational state repression, creating spaces for discourse, and the impact of foreign policy regionally and internationally.

Panelist:

• Claudine Kuradusenge-McLeod, American University 

• Christopher P Davey, Clark University

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Karina Korostelina, Professor. Carter School 

Presented by: Carter School Reconciling Conflicts and Intergroup Divisions (RCID) Lab

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The Russia-Ukraine War raises an important question about whether a stable peace settlement is possible. This session examines the question by tracing the ways that wartime experiences shape ordinary Ukrainians’ attitudes toward different peace settlement scenarios. Such concessions are presently recognized by all sides as part of the road toward peace. Yet, in light of great resistance and suffering, witnessing the death of friends and family members, and extraordinary destruction and displacement, the question can be raised whether ordinary Ukrainians accept the loss of further state territory as a necessary price for peace. Deeper understanding of how general populations assess the cost of peace can greatly inform preparation, negotiation and implementation of peace agreements by both national governments and international third parties. To advance understanding of how people’s wartime experiences influence their positions toward peace agreements requiring territorial concessions, this project seeks to uncover the social psychological processes and wartime experiences informing the dispositions of ordinary Ukrainians toward peace. The scholarly literature suggests divergent impacts of war experience on attitude towards the costs of peace. One line of evidence suggests that direct exposure to violence and destruction may increase Ukrainians’ perception of immediate threat, which may in turn increase their willingness to support territorial concessions as a means to end violent hostilities. Other lines of evidence suggest that anger, threats to Ukrainian identity and values, and desire to honor the sacrifice of those who died defending Ukrainian land, may harden attitudes toward territorial compromises. In this context, War may have made all Ukrainian territory a ‘sacred value’ (absolute and non-negotiable) to ordinary Ukrainians. This would reduce the possibility of territorial compromise, and make any settlement potentially unstable. The project includes collection and quantitative analysis of survey data from a large sample of Ukrainians, including locals and internally displaced people, across three towns close to the regions where active fighting is taking place.

Speakers:

• Karina Korostelina, Professor, Carter School

• Gerard Toal, Professor, Virginia Tech

• Michael Sweigart, Ph.D. student, Carter School

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Dan Rothbart, Professor, Carter School

Presented By: Carter School Peace Lab: Transforming the Mind for Peace

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Join Professor Daniel Rothbart and David Stebbins in their analysis of Proud Boys narrative themes and the events surrounding the January 6 Capitol riots. The analysis centers on the group’s evolution before, during and after this event. Join a discussion of how this event informs and challenges conflict resolution analysis and resolution.

Speakers:

• Daniel Rothbart, Professor of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, The Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

• David M. Stebbins, Doctoral Student, The Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Richard Rubenstein, University Professor, Carter School

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Rotary International, a very large fraternal organization with a global reach, and the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution are developing a new relationship of partnership and mutual learning. The session describes how this is taking place and discusses its implications for peace education and peacebuilding.

Speakers:

• Richard E. Rubenstein, University Professor, Carter School

• Alpasian Ozerdem, Dean of the Carter School

• Al Jubitz, Founder of the Rotary Action Group for Peace

• Larry Cooley, Founder and President Emeritus of Management Systems International

• David Fishman, Lawyer, Peacebuilder, Rotarian

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Julie Shedd, Associate Dean, Carter School 

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Conflict resolution is at work everyday all around us.  This interactive session explores conflict resolution approaches to the most pressing problems facing us interpersonally, in community, nationally and globally.  This session is geared toward those exploring options for academic training in conflict resolution or interested in learning about approaches to transforming social conflict.

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator:  Mr. Bob Nealon, J.D., Carter School Advisory Board

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Ambassador John W. McDonald Award Ceremony Honoring Dr. Haifa Al Najjar. The Ambassador John W. McDonald Award was established by the Carter School Advisory Board in 2017 and has been awarded since in a special ceremony, last during the Carter School Peace Week in September 2021.  The McDonald Award is designed to recognize a deserving person who has demonstrated commitment to peace building and the non-violent resolution of conflicts anywhere. 

This year’s award recipient is Dr. Haifa Al Najjar, Minister of Culture and Member of the Senate, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.  Dr. Najjar is a Senator in the Jordanian Parliament and Initiator of Tanweer (Enlightenment). Her home is a hub for cultural renaissance in Amman, while as Superintendent of the Ahliyyah Girls School and Mutran Boys school, she transformed both schools into seedbeds for future enlightened leaders. She is also the initiator of TANWEER – a Societal Renaissance Movement and Integral College in Jordan. Her awards include the European Council of International School’s Award for Promoting International Education.

Format: In-Person 

In-Person Location: Linn Gym, Court B, 4350 Banister Creek Ct Fairfax, VA 22030

In collaboration with Mason Men’s and Women’s Basketball programs, PeacePlayer Alumni from five global sites, and members of the local community, join the Carter School during its Fall Peace Week for its first-ever PeacePlayers Basketball Clinic, where the power of sport will be used to unite, educate, inspire, and develop leaders to create a more peaceful world.  PeacePlayers alumni will share their journeys, show how the game of basketball can be used as a vehicle for peace, and participate in a facilitated panel discussion.

About PeacePlayers

For nearly 20 years, PeacePlayers has been working with youth from divided communities around the globe using the game of basketball to bridge divides, change perceptions and develop leaders.  PeacePlayers currently operate programs in the Middle East, South Africa, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, and the United States.  PeacePlayers’ programs are long-term, providing participants the opportunity to grow into the coaches and leaders of the program and their communities.  Over time, PeacePlayers youth leaders from around the globe began to connect and work together to build a global movement of peace advocates who are using sport to create a more peaceful and equitable world.

Who Should Attend

If you want to be equipped to INFLUENCE LASTING CHANGE in YOUR COMMUNITY, CHANGE PERCEPTIONS, inspire others to reduce conflict and work to BUILD A MORE PEACEFUL AND EQUITABLE SOCIETY, help TRANSFORM LIVES and be a CATALYST FOR CHANGE, then this clinic is for you!  REGISTER TODAY!

Format: In-Person

In Person Location: 3434 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201 | 5^th Floor; Room 5183

Facilitator: Jeffrey Helsing, Executive Director, Better Evidence Project, Carter School

Presented by: Carter School Better Evidence Project

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This session will be a platform for the 5 IREX Community Solutions fellows being hosted at the Carter School to discuss their projects--their goals, program design and plans for implementation upon return to their communities at the end of the fall semester. They are from Bangladesh, Guatemala, Palestine (West Bank), Palestine (Gaza), and Slovakia.

Speakers:

• Ula Zakaria Hindi, Better Evidence Project

• Simona Marcinkova, Program on History, Memory, and Conflict

• Yonathan Josue Jimenez Ramirez, Mary Hoch Center on Reconciliation

• Niamat Ullah, Better Evidence Project

• Karam al Zaanin, Program on History, Memory, and Conflict

• Karina Korostelina, Program on History, Memory, and Conflict

Format: In-Person

In Person Location: 3434 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201 | 5^th Floor; Room 5183

Facilitator: Jeffrey Helsing, Executive Director, Better Evidence Project, Carter School

Presented by: Carter School Better Evidence Project

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This panel session will spotlight the Carter School's new Evidence to Action for Peace Initiative. It is designed to: --Strengthen efforts, both local and international, to prevent armed conflicts, end wars, and build sustainable peace. --Bridge theory and practice. --Promote and draw upon local and international knowledge and local and international practice. --Embody a cycle of continuous learning and sharing. At its core, Evidence to Action for Peace will create a hub that connects and brings together local peacemakers, researchers, donors, and practitioners to take concerted action to prevent and end current wars, and to strengthen peacemaking practice by providing useful evidence to guide peacemaking. It does so by forming a continuous and reciprocating cycle in which evidence is gathered and produced from innovative and local peace partnerships and armed conflict prevention efforts in the field as well as from peacebuilding and conflict resolution experiences and research. By utilizing the breadth of evidence collected from around the world and localized past work, peacemakers can better prepare their programming and draw from the Evidence to Action for Peace Initiative for when unexpected challenges and successes arise.

Speakers:

• Jeffrey Helsing, Executive Director, Better Evidence Project

• Charles Davidson, Director, Carter School Political Leadership Academy and Head of Local Led Peacebuilding initiative

• Ziad al Achkar, Graduate Research Associate, Better Evidence Project

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Leslie Dwyer, Associate Professor, Carter School

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, how can we still talk about “peace” in the United States? Does this moment demand a critique of hegemonic framings of conflict resolution as consensus, common ground, or shared narrative? For the first time in over a century a constitutional right has been taken away from a class of Americans, with a disproportionate impact on communities of color and marginalized groups. Post-Roe includes living under the threat that more rights might be stripped away.

Speakers: 

• Leslie Dwyer, Associate Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

• Susan Hirsch, Professor and Vernon and Minnie Lynch Chair of Conflict Analysis and Anthropology, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

• Tehama Lopez Bunyasi, Associate Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

• Agnieszka Paczynska, Associate Professor, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Format: Virtual 

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The new Scramble for Africa explains how structures of racism from the colonial legacy and the liberal economy play a significant role in Africa’s development as a market and a supplier of cheap labor, raw materials, and rare natural resources essential for high-tech products and green energy. This ethnography of Bulyanhulu, one of the largest gold mines in Africa reveals the intersectional inequalities of land acquisition. It addresses racial and resource injustice that villagers described in racialized and gendered terms. They identified the acquisition of their land as racist. As one protestor put it, “When gold is found in our land, the land comes to belong to the white man (Mzungu)!” Women in the mining village described their land insecurity caused by transnational corporations run by white men, on the one hand, as well as black men in their patriarchal system, on the other. Marriage proposals from inlaws were one technique used to deceive widows and prevent them from inheriting land. This study reveals tensions among local people, governments, and transnational corporations. It provides evidence contradicting the optimistic views of FDI as the source of sustainable development in Africa.

Speaker: 

• Mariam Kurtz, Visiting Scholar, Carter School

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Patricia Maulden, Associate Professor, Carter School

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The rationale supporting mass incarceration patterns goes back to the Ancient Greeks and beyond. In our day, the institutional support structures that maintain and expand mass incarceration generally exist with little public outrage unless experienced by individuals and families caught in the web of policy. As those individuals have been, to all intents and purposes, dehumanized and removed from the public gaze, the policy continues unhindered. This panel discussion and dialogue shines a light on the beginning of the United States mass incarceration project - deconstructing the cradle to prison pipeline, in particular the transformation of schools to sites of arrest and imprisonment of students as young as five years old. We will explore the presence of police within educational spaces, which student groups feel the sharp end of these policies on a daily basis, and the long-term effects of encountering, as a child or young person, the trauma of the criminal justice system.

Panelists:

• Sarah Atif

• Meron Derseh

• Vernice Heard

• Leo Hylton

Format: In-Person

In Person Location: 3434 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201 | 5^th Floor; Room 5183

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The election of Pope Francis in 2013 signified a major cultural shift in the global Catholic Church--one that hasn't been felt fully in the US as the Catholic bishops continue to align themselves with Trumpism and Christian Nationalism. How is their influence (and that of wealthy conservative Catholic donors) felt in the US? Why are they in opposition to Pope Francis? And does this mean that the Catholic Church in the US is headed toward schism?

During his nearly 10-year papacy, Pope Francis has made strides to ensure that Church leadership better reflects the true global nature of the Catholic Church—which is growing the most throughout the developing world. And he continues to make headlines as he advocates for the full breadth of Catholic social teaching. The Pope refuses to live at the Vatican palace, takes his meals in the cafeteria, and is reforming the Vatican bank. He famously said of LGBTQ people, “Who am I to judge?,” welcomed refugees to live at the Vatican, and wrote a papal encyclical about the importance of caring for the environment.  

In the United States, where in some ways the Catholic Church is still reeling from the abuse crisis, Church attendance continues to decline. Despite this, the institutional Catholic Church in the U.S. still holds much political sway and wealth, and typically leans conservative, sometimes putting Church hierarchy at odds with the agenda of Pope Francis. The Catholic electorate is roughly split evenly, showing that there is a diversity of opinions in the pews.

Jason L. Miller, a faith-based advocate, organizer, and activist, with over 10 years of experience working at several faith-based non-profits will examine these trends at the intersection of faith and politics in the Catholic Church in the U.S. and try to determine what the future holds and if the Catholic Church in the U.S. will follow the example of Pope Francis or not.

Speaker:

• Jason Miller, Director of Operations and Special Projects, Interfaith Alliance

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Thomas Flores, Director of Graduate Programs, Carter School

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Faculty and students at the Carter School have been working together to revolutionize dispute resolution. The key is considering how systemic forces (racism, for example) change every step we take as dispute resolvers. How can dispute resolution be used to co-create justice in organizations and communities?

Speakers:

• D.G. Mawn, President, National Association for Community Mediation

• Julie Shedd, Associate Dean, Carter School

• Cherise Hariston, Personal Peace Coach and Carter School Instructor

• Mindy Burrell, National Association for Community Mediation, Board Co-Chair, Carter School Instructor

Format: In-Person

Meet in front of Merten Hall, 4441 George Mason Blvd, Fairfax VA, 22030

Come and join the Carter School Ambassadors and decorate the ground for International Day of Peace and for 2022 Fall Peace Week .

Parking is available in Rappahannock River parking deck at an hourly rate.

Address of parking garage: 4395 University Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030

Format: Virtual 

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Join alumni of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution to learn about different career paths for supporting peacebuilding, including non-traditional methods.

Speakers:

• Lindsay Burr, Chief Executive Officer, The Yarbrough Group, M.S. CAR, 2016

• Alex Rosenwald, Director of Media Relations, Hudson Institute, B.A. CAR, 2008

• David Smith, President, Forage Center for Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Education, M.S. CAR

• Joshua Weiss, Co-Founder, Global Negotiation Initiative, Ph.D. CAR, 2002

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Cam Cassar, MHCR Communications Officer

Presented By: Carter School Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation with special guest The Parachute People

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The Parachute People (TPP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit creates community through play to empower personal wellbeing. The Parachute People's work often straddles the boundaries between mental health promotion, the music and entertainment industry, and community-led peacebuilding. Join MHCR and the Parachute People Board of Directors to explore a novel approach to building community resilience and wellbeing through play. You may see them on your next trip to Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival but in the meantime, get a sneak peek of how well-being and play can be used for community peacebuilding.

Speakers: 

• Nicholas Sherwood, TPP Board of Directors, MHCR Associate Director

• Kesi Michael, TPP Board of Directors

• Reed Walter, TPP Board of Directors

• Ron Holgado, TPP Board of Directors

• Ana Goffe, TPP Board of Directors

Format: In-Person 

In Person Location: 7301 Old Spring Dr, Lorton, VA 22079 (POV Retreat Center) 

Welcoming remarks from Alp Özerdem, Dean, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

This event will recognize the impact of Dennis Sandole's scholarship and practice on the field of conflict resolution and his role as a founding faculty member of the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Speakers:

• Kevin Avruch, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Henry Hart Rice Professor for Conflict Resolution Emeritus

• Chris Mitchell, Professor Emeritus of Conflict Analysis and Resolution

• Julie Shedd, Associate Dean, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Format: In-Person 

Event Location: Meet in front of Merten Hall - 4441 George Mason Blvd, Fairfax VA, 22030

Come and walk around the Fairfax campus with the Carter School ambassadors to celebrate International Day of Peace and Carter School Fall 2022 Peace Week.

Visitor parking is available in Rappahannock River parking garage for an hourly rate.

Parking garage address: 4395 University Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Susan Allen, Associate Professor, Carter School

Presented by: Carter School Center for Peacemaking Practice

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This session will focus on how map use can help or hinder conflict resolution efforts. Examples from the speaker's dissertation, post-doc research, and other cases will be used to support the discussion.

Speaker:

• Julie Minde, PhD, Carter School Visiting Scholar

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Keil Eggers, Peace Engineering Lab Manager, Carter School

Presented By: Carter School Peace Engineering Lab

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Now in its third year, the Carter School Peace Engineering Lab has been developing new approaches to conflict transformation and participatory processes empowered by technology. This panel presentation will showcase our emerging research portfolio in in complexity-informed conflict resolution and SenseMaker, urban planning and community engagement, digital diplomacy and data trust fiduciaries, and data collection in active conflict zones through social media and creative open-source intelligence (OSINT) techniques. After introducing the research streams, the Fellows will discuss how the peace engineering community is rethinking the relationship between peace researchers and engineers. Learn about updates at the Lab and meet our new Fellow!

Speakers:

• Keil Eggers, Peace Engineering Fellow and PhD student Conflict Analysis and Resolution

• Ashton Rohmer, Peace Engineering Fellow and PhD student Conflict Analysis and Resolution

• Elana Sokol, Peace Engineering Fellow and PhD student Conflict Analysis and Resolution

• Kayla Koontz, Peace Engineering Fellow and PhD student Conflict Analysis and Resolution

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Jane Walker, Director of Undergraduate Student Services

Are you a teacher or educator with a background in Peace and Conflict Resolution? Are you interested in helping the Carter School disseminate PACS-related materials to high school classrooms? If so, then join us on September 21. We want your help!  

The Carter School is in the process of developing a website to provide high school teachers and educators with resources for bringing PACS-related content and skill-building into their classrooms. Sourced by Carter School faculty, our website will house activities, readings, and other materials on various themes, concepts, and topics from the peacebuilding field that can be introduced in a high school setting.   

As the website is in its developing stages, we invite you to join us in a brainstorming session that will shape this project. 

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Dr. Alpaslan Özerdem, Dean, Carter School

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This roundtable discussion will focus on the future of Afghanistan, challenges on the growing humanitarian crisis and what must be done to address these challenges.

A year has passed since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan following the collapse of the previous Afghan government on August 15, 2021 and the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. A year that brought Afghanistan to the forefront of significant global concerns as well as even greater security, human rights and humanitarian challenges for millions of Afghans. As a result, numerous questions have already been raised for what’s happening in the country today and what’s in store in its future. There are numerous reports emanating from Afghanistan that indicate the gradual breakdown of the state and the nation as a whole. On the one hand, Afghanistan was unable to preserve the achievements of the previous twenty years; a year in which Afghan civilians' lives, freedom, equality, and rights were jeopardized. On the other hand, Afghanistan has progressively reemerged as a safe haven for international terrorism. Previous incidents, such as the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Khaled Khorasani, indicate that Islamic extremist networks have returned to Afghanistan under the Taliban rule. Due to the fact that the causes of the fall of Afghanistan's previous administration have been extensively discussed over the last year, we will not delve into them in this session. Our primary inquiry from the speakers focuses on two primary questions: first, how the situation in Afghanistan has changed over the past year and second, where Afghanistan is heading to in terms of its security, development and human rights frameworks?

This panel also hopes to bring together a group of experts on Afghanistan in due course to undertake collaborative work with the Carter School as we are planning to launch an Afghanistan Peace Lab with a goal of developing several research and publication projects.

Speakers:

• Chair: Alpaslan Özerdem, Dean, Carter School

• Mansoor Ehsan, Scholar in Residence, Carter School

• Mohammad Mirwais Balkhi, Research Scholar at Wilson Center, and Afghanistan's former Education Minister

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Thomas Flores, Director of Graduate Programs, Carter School

Students and faculty have worked around the world to prevent genocide and help communities emerging from it.  In this panel, students and faculty will discuss their projects and the future of their work in an unpredictable world.

Speakers:

• Doug Irvin-Erickson, Assistant Professor, Carter School

• Shannon Fyfe, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and a Fellow in the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy at George Mason University

• Jonathon Repinecz, Associate Professor, Modern and Classical Languages

• Ziad al-Achkar, Doctoral Candidate, Carter School

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: David Smith, Adjunct Faculty, Carter School

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In this session, Carter School students will share their experiences participating in the Coastal Promise field simulation sponsored by the Forage Center for Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Education and part of the requirements of CONF 665, Conflict Resolution in a Humanitarian Crises, held in the summer 2022. Learning through experience is the most impactful form of education, and this field experience provided graduate student with an opportunity to engage in humanitarian assistance work, build trust with a team, and integrate peacebuilding concepts into humanitarianism.

CONF 665 Student Speakers:

• Kristine Saunders

• Elena Cirmizi

• Josh Price

• Katreena Blazewicz

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Leslie Dwyer, Associate Professor, Carter School

Tourism has evolved to become one of the largest global industries and is often linked with strategies for economic development, sustainability, and resilience. Different tourism models continue to evolve to address fundamental questions of its potential value, its impact, and the realities of who does and does not benefit (e.g., economically, socially, environmentally, politically). Looking at ongoing developments in Ukraine and the Arctic, this session looks at tourism's emerging role in conflict and new questions about its value for affected coastal communities around the world.

Speakers:

• Kristin Weis, PhD student, Carter School

• Dr. Leslie Dwyer, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for the Study of Gender and Conflict, Carter School

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Susan Hirsch, Professor, Carter School  

Presented by: Carter School Transitioning Justice Lab

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How should the peace and conflict field respond to calls for justice, especially in response to conflict or harm? More broadly, how might justice—as an aim and a value--play a larger role in our theories and our practices? What is justice, to you? This event will raise these and related questions through breakout discussions using Circle Process. The event will begin with a brief introduction of Basic Circle Process, which is a restorative approach to discussion that guarantees everyone a turn to speak, if they so choose. The main portion of the event will give the attendees an opportunity to participate in facilitated, breakout room circles. Participants are encouraged to stay for the entire event to experience the circle process and to learn what others discussed during a brief share out and Q&A. Finally, attendees will collaborate in creating next steps for the field as it comes to terms with the role of justice. 

Led by Carter School students 

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Andrew Farrand (Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council)

Presented by: RI-SE (Reaching Independence through Social Engagement)

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Ramifications from the conflict in Ukraine are being felt around the globe. Although the global north primarily feels the effects in their wallet, the global south may be facing a paradigm shift in the way peaceful social movements advocate for change in their societies. Join us as we unpack the case study of Algeria. We will hear from activists on the ground and experts in the field of peaceful civil disobedience. 

Speakers:

• Dr. Stephen Zunes, Professor of Political Science at the University of San Francisco

• François Burgat, Senior Researcher at L'Institut de Recherches et d'Études sur le monde arabe-CNRS

• Raouf Farrah, Senior Analyst at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

• Ouissal Harize, Senior Editor Misbar English

• Hamid Lellou, RI-SE CEO

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Terrence Lyons, Professor, Carter School 

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An attempt to connect the dots between the participatory process of democracy, and attempts to exclude people from that participation through electoral violence or changes in the institutional frameworks required for peaceful and inclusive political competition.

Speaker:

• Douglas Addison, Graduate Student, Carter School 

Format: In-Person 

Event Location: 4515 Patriot Circle, Fairfax VA, 22030, Art and Design Building room L002

Parking Available in parking lot K 

Pysanky, or Ukrainian Easter Eggs, are a tradition passed down through generations of Ukrainians and are a well-known representation of folk art from Ukraine. Though this was and is a Lenten practice originally, many make pysanky, traditional or modern, all year round. During Soviet rule, pysanky were forbidden, so they were made in secret by those within Ukraine, or by people of Ukrainian descent outside of Ukraine. Now, we would like to share this art with you during Peace Week starting the week of September 19, 2022. This workshop involves raw chicken eggs, permanent dyes, and candles. This is an introductory to intermediate class. All supplies will be provided. No experience is necessary. Space is limited, so make sure to reserve your spot today!

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Jeffrey Helsing, Executive Director, Better Evidence Project, Carter School

Presented By: Carter School Better Evidence Project

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Too often, in conflict resolution work and in the peacebuilding field, we use different terms or mean different things with the terms we use. This hampers our engagement and collaboration between local and international actors or across sectors when working in shared conflict and humanitarian space. This panel will explore how we can more effectively engage with each other rather than talk past each other given the stakes both in the US and globally.

Speaker:

• Jeffrey Helsing, Executive Director, Better Evidence Project, Carter School

• Ann Phillips, Fellow, Center for Peacemaking Practice, Carter School

• Chip Hauss, Senior Fellow for Innovation, Alliance for Peacebuilding and Visiting Fellow, Carter School

• Stanislava Mladenova, PhD Candidate, King's College, London

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Karina Korostelina, Professor, Carter School 

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This research project reflects on the realities faced by Ukrainian grassroots civil society
actors during the first three months of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in
Ukraine. The study looks at the initiatives these actors created in response to the war.
The research project analyses the actors behind the initiatives, the activities they carried out, and the risks they faced whilst carrying out their work.

Speakers:

• Dr. Tetiana Kyselova, Associate Professor, Director, Mediation and Dialogue Research Center, National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy", Ukraine

• Tetiana Kalenychenko, Head of the Dialogue in Action initiative, and Executive Director of the European Center for Strategic Analytics

Format: Virtual 

Facilitator: Mary Jo Larson, Ph.D., Independent Consultant, Carter School Alumna, Former Advisory Board Chair & Adjunct Faculty 

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This presentation explores personal, cultural and national affiliations that define identities, worldviews and approaches to conflict. Speakers of diverse genders and nationalities - Iraq, Afghanistan and South Korea - describe how identity labels shape the ways that individuals and communities are perceived, recognizing both opportunities and risks. Together, they seek critical insights for interpreting and negotiating diverse identities and for productively engaging in the sustainable resolution of multicultural conflicts.

Speakers:

• Omar A Al Mashhadani, Graduate Student, Carter School
• Sadaf M Masud, Graduate Student, Carter School
• Haneul Song, Graduate Student, Carter School

Format: In-Person 

Event Location: 3434 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201 | 5^th Floor; Room 5183

Presented By: CDA, Practical Learning for International Action

The format of the session is a roundtable session that aims to present the Collaborative Learning Project (CLP) on the Environment-Fragility-Conflict Nexus, discuss and reflect on the preliminary findings with participants, as well as capture key points from the participants that could be incorporated into the project to improve it. The roundtable session will encompass two main activities. First, we will present an overview of the CLP and the preliminary findings from the project's case studies. The second part will consist of small group discussions among participants about relevant issues or regions where participants are familiar to capture key points. The participants will then come back together to share highlights from their group discussions, and finally, we will share CDA's next steps with the project. At the end of the session, we expect participants to understand the CLP on the Environment-Fragility-Conflict nexus and its contribution to peacebuilding through the preliminary findings from the case studies. Project Description The environment-fragility-peace nexus presents a radically new operational environment for humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding interventions. It poses a new set of complex challenges, in which social, political, economic, and environmental problems must be addressed systemically and simultaneously across various scales, incorporating local, national, regional, and global programs. Climate change could push an additional 132 million people into poverty by 2030, and could result in the displacement of 143 million by 2050, with detrimental effects on global peace and development. Climate change is therefore seen as a “threat-multiplier” in violent conflict, exacerbating existing conflict drivers by putting pressures on livelihoods and economies, amplifying resource competition, spurring migration, and contributing to habitat loss. However, as a corollary to these negative dynamics, there is also growing evidence that climate action and climate change-related disaster risk reduction bear the potential to promote social cohesion and more inclusive societies. Yet while the knowledge base on the link between climate, fragility, and conflict is quickly growing, assessment frameworks and tools for practices are still largely absent or ill-suited for the use of most organizations. In this context, CDA Collaborative Learning, in collaboration with local, national, and international partners, is conducting a global Collaborative Learning Project (CLP) on the Environment-Fragility-Peace Nexus. Through this project, CDA will develop a series of 15 case studies and issue papers, which, through a consultation process, will be developed into 1) a robust conflict sensitivity framework for climate resilience, adaptation, mitigation, and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) interventions, and 2) frameworks and tools to analyze and address environmental impact and conflict in a mutually beneficial manner. CDA will integrate its inductive listening and collaborative learning methodologies for field-based data collection with robust climate modeling, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) data, and conflict predictive systems data to develop a set of rigorous and robust multi-scalar case studies. These, in turn, will inform the development of tools and frameworks through a series of consultations and feedback workshops. Thus far, we have begun our first case study in Fiji and will likely have several others ongoing at the time of the conference.

Speakers:

• Diana Campos, Project Coordinator, CDA

• Sarah Gordon, Project Fellow, CDA

• Susan Allen, Professor, Carter School 

Format: Virtual 

Are you frustrated with the old political categories left and right, liberal and conservative? Do you suspect that there are deeper mindsets in play in protracted conflicts that require new ways of thinking? If so, come to this session and discover your root narrative profile. We will unveil the new RNT Character instrument, debrief on your personal results and speak about the implications for employing a narrative approach to help resolve deeply rooted conflicts.

Speaker:

• Solon Simmons, Associate Professor, Carter School

Format: In-Person 

Facilitator: Charles Davidson, Assistant Professor, Carter School

Event Location: 4441 George Mason Blvd, Fairfax VA, 22030

Parking available at hourly rate 

Parking address: 4395 University Dr, Fairfax VA, 22030 

Join us for an interactive workshop that will introduce the intersection of peacebuilding and entrepreneurship, and learn how to utilize this intersection to develop ideas on achieving sustainable peace in conflict areas. The speakers of this workshop were part of Summer 2022’s Young Women’s Peacebuilding Fellowship through the Innovations of Peace International. They will examine numerous topics, such as the importance of conducting a critical analysis of the impacts of business on the state of peace and how the development and establishment of new ideas can promote generational knowledge and wealth. The workshop will encourage the audience to work in groups to design ideas of how they might create sustainable peace in a conflict zone through peacebuilding and entrepreneurship. This workshop will promote divergent thinking and creativity.

Speakers:

• Arianna Clark, Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University
• Jenna Shah, Bachelor of Accelerated Master’s Program for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University
• Juliet Lancey, Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University
• Sara Franks, Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University
• Sophie Marro, Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University