Fall 2024 Peace Week

Format: Virtual

The session brings together a group of young social entrepreneurs from the South Caucasus who share their experience and work and the vision of how their enterprises can support the overall peace agenda in the region. All participants have been selected to participate in the Leadership for Social Entrepreneurship program funded by the US Department of State and spent 4 weeks in Washington DC learning with each other and from each other.

Panelists: 

• Tatevik Sephanyan, Social Entrepreneur, Armenia 
• Yaqub Zeynalzade, Social Entrepreneur, Azerbaijan
• Nino Gvaramia, Social Entrepreneur, Georgia 
• Narek Minasyan, Social Entrepreneur, Armenia (title) 
• Leila Ashirova, Social Entrepreneur, Georgia
• Tara Compton, Managing Director, Co Director of International Programming | Company E
• Margarita Tadevosyan, PhD Executive Director, Center for Peacemaking Practice 

Format: Virtual

Presented by: Carter School Advisory Board

Members of the Carter School Advisory Board and Carter School alumni will discuss new developments in our field that have created new opportunities for practice and employment.

Panelists: 

• Richard Rubenstein, University Prof. Emeritus, Carter School
• Brian Polkinghorn, Distinguished Prof. of Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution and Executive Director of Bosserman Center for Conflict Resolution at Salisbury University
• Peter Swanson, Director for the Office of Conflict Management and Prevention at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS)
• Michael Shank, Director of Engagement for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance.
• Paul Turner, President and Executive Director of the Fund for Peace in D.C. 

Format: Virtual 

Announcing the new research focus of the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation! Join us as we outline the new leg of research and practice that builds on the incredible work of Drs. Angi Yoder-Maina and Shawn Ginwright. Explore preliminary lessons learned and generate questions and knowledge through rich discussion. Questions we will engage include: How does a trauma-informed lens risk keeping oppressed and marginalized people trapped in their trauma? How can a healing-centered approach serve as a liberatory framework that helps people break free from the systemic trauma trap? Facilitators will also share how the new focus aims to expound upon MHCR's flagship study on Insider Reconcilers, and ways for you to get involved. All are welcome. We look forward to learning and growing together! 

Panelists: 

• Antti Pentikainen, Professor in Practice and Director at the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation and Executive Director of Think Peace Learning and Support Hub
• Leo Hylton, Transformation and Reconciliation Laboratory Manager at the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation and Transitional Justice Lead at Think Peace Learning and Support Hub
• Rowda Olad, Insider Reconciler Fellow and Associate Director of the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation and Founder of Maandeeq Mental Health Without Borders
• Deborah Sachare, Healing-Centered Approaches to Peacebuilding and Reconciliation Research Coordinator at the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation

Format: Virtual

Presented by: Transforming the Mind for Peace

Sudan, an East African nation of more than 46 million people, is ravaged currently by a civil war that began April 15, 2023 and continues to this day. In this war human rights violations are rampant, resulting in more than 15,000 civilian fatalities, mass executions, gender-based violence and the largest number of displaced persons in the world. This session showcases the work and findings of a team of researchers from GMU and a non-profit agency called MITRE investigating such human rights violations. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, this team of researchers generates, analyzes and reports evidence of war crimes, mass atrocities and other gross human rights abuses committed by all militants. The findings will be used for bringing perpetrators to justice, contributing to delivery of humanitarian assistance and countering misinformation, disinformation and hate speech. The lessons learned from this investigation can be used for other investigations of human rights violations.

Panelists: 

• Daniel Rothbart, Druscilla French Chair of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, GMU
• David Marshall, Principal Intelligence and Policy Strategist Group Lead, Special Operations Department,. MITRE
• Dr. Mathieu Bere, Conflict Monitoring and Analysis Specialist
• Dieter Pfoser, Chair, Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science, GMU

Format: In-Person

Join us for an undergraduate Peace Week kickoff outside at the HUB firepit. Open to only Mason students.

Format: Virtual

In 2021, the Burmese junta launched a coup, detaining the country’s newly elected democratic government and invalidating the results of a free and fair electoral process. Following this, the military began imposing a series of harmful national policies to consolidate their power in the country. However these attempts to take control of the country have remained unsuccessful. For three years now, the people of Burma have found innovative ways to resist the various restrictions on education, health, movement, expression and speech, the internet, and beyond. Some examples include but are not limited to, the creation of fake social media profiles, utilization of burner phones, NFT fundraisers, and pushing social campaigns both online and offline. This session will provide general information on Burma’s 2021 coup, its impact on local communities, and these unique forms of resistance that civilians have engineered in response. Recognizing that people can only resist for so long, the panel will also discuss tangible actions moving towards resolving the conflict and bringing peace to Burma

Moderator: Dr. Douglas Irvin-Erickson, George Mason University 

Panelists: 

• Rosalinn Zahau, Technical Lead, Women Legal Network 
• Dr. Su Yin Htun, CDM Law professor
• Thinzar Shunlei Yi, Sisters to Sisters 

Format: Virtual 

Presented by: Transforming the Mind for Peace Lab

We'll discuss how alienation and misunderstanding is driving political polarization in the U.S., and how the organizations where we work can help reverse the damage. The session will showcase collective axiology theory, developed at the Carter School, to explain how misunderstanding leads to conflict. It will then show how workplaces—where we have ideologically diverse networks—are being inspired to address the issue through their training infrastructure.

Panelists: 

• Randy Lioz, MS Candidate at the Carter School, Founder of Depolarizing Organizational Cultures
• Daniel Rothbart, Professor, Carter School, Director of Transforming the Mind for Peace Lab
• Nikki Frias, author and corporate improv trainer, Corpdev strategies 
• Sarah Bonk, Founder & CEO, Business for America

Format: Virtual 

This session serves as a debut presentation of the Carter School Center for Peace Technology and Entrepreneurship in which we discuss the mission of the center, its goals in the first year, and its partnerships and undertakings in both research and applied practice

Panelists: 

• Charles Davidson, PhD
• Megan Jeans, JD

Format: Virtual 

An insightful alumni panel will explore innovative approaches and diverse pathways in the field, highlighting adaptability, and interdisciplinary skills sets. Alumni will discuss unique perspectives, how they have navigated career trajectory and how to use the degree from Carter to contribute to peace and conflict in a rapidly changing world.

Panelists: 

• Brian Garrett-Glaser, (Moderator), Senior Communications Manager, private industry.
• Ce Garrison, VP, CS Alumni Chapter & Local Government Manager, Office of Resilience & Community Services, Louisville, KY.
• Dr. Cynthia Irmer, Negotiator, Consultant and retired 30 years federal government..
• Cindra Rehman, Director-at-Large, CS Alumni Chapter & Partnership Coordinator, U.S. Forest Service.

Format: In-person or online 

Location: 3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington VA, 22201, Van Metre Hall, Room 308 

The panel will discuss the long history of the country, with an emphasis on its political instability and economic challenges, complicated by social conflicts and frequent natural disasters. However, we will also highlight contemporary initiatives that are being carried out, both to help economic stability and enable Haitians to build a sound foundation for positive, lasting peace in the country and among its peoples. 

Panelists: 

• Gregory Francois, Peacebuilding and Community Development Advisor
• Christopher R. Mitchell, Emeritus Faculty, Carter School 
• Dr. Yves Renee Jennings [Partnering for Sustainable Peace]
• Gentile Senat, Carter School MS 2022

Format: In-Person

Location: Busboys and Poets, 4251 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA 22206

Presented by: Carter School Dean’s Council & Advisory Board 

A peace week kick off celebration with the Carter School Dean's Council and Advisory Board, featuring keynote talk from emeritus professor Rich Rubenstein, "Moving Beyond Ethnonationalism".

Panelists: 

• Rich Rubenstein, Emeritus professor and chair of the Carter School Advisory Board
• Andy Shallal, co-chair of the Carter School Dean's Council
• Linda Mathes, co-chair of the Carter School Dean's Council
• Alpaslan Ozerdem, Carter School Dean 

Format: Virtual 

Join this panel discussion about how to build your career in the Organizational Development (OD) space, led by practitioners from Training Resources Group, Inc. (TRG). Early- to mid-career TRG professionals will discuss how an interest in peace and conflict resolution led each of them to work in OD, and the paths they see for emerging practitioners. Panelists will share about how skills like facilitation and stakeholder analysis enhance their work with a variety of US Government and private sector clients, and the opportunities they see in the OD space to continue learning from innovations in the field of peacebuilding.

Panelists: 

• Shareef Khatib, Organizational Development & Training Consultant, Training Resources Group 
• Avi de Silva, Collaborating, Learning and Adapting Program Management Specialist, USAID ACE Project, Training Resources Group
• Ruth Speyer, Organizational Development & Learning Specialist, Training Resources Group
• Sharon Kniss, Organizational Development & Training Consultant, Training Resources Group
• Daryn Cambridge, Organizational Development & Training Consultant, Training Resources Group, Department of State

Format: In-Person or online

Location: 3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington VA, 22201, Van Metre Hall, Room 308 

Presented by: Better Evidence Project

This session will demonstrate how the Better Evidence Project is utilizing new technologies to connect peacebuilders to resources and to each other. As BEP builds out its site and incorporates new technologies, including AI and connectivity capacity, participants will be invited to engage both in person and virtually with the technology as well as each other in order to address challenging questions that the designers of a global network of peacebuilders are facing. 

Panelists: 

• Kamila Elyazgi, Carter School Master's student and Program Associate, Better Evidence Project. 
• Jeffrey W. Helsing, Executive Director, Better Evidence Project and Research Associate Professor
• Isabella Cuevas, Director of Outreach at the Better Evidence Project
• Ziad Al Achkar, Senior Specialist, ICT4D Knowledge Management and Learning at Catholic Relief Services

Format: In-Person

Doors will open at 2:30pm. Food will be served before and after the event. 

Location: HUB Ballroom Front, 10423 Rivanna River Wy, Fairfax VA, 22030 

In collaboration with: The Narrative Transformation Lab at the Carter School

Our Story – The Narrative Transformation Lab 

Korean ArtPop Storytelling Workshop – The Narrative Transformation Lab (gmu.edu) 

Sponsors: Dean’s Office at the Carter School, University Life

Endorsed by:

• The Korean Cultural Center Washington D.C (https://washingtondc.koreanculture.org/en/1131/board/895/list),
• Association for Conflict Resolution-Greater New York Chapter (ACR-GNY) (https://bit.ly/acrgny-korean-art-pop)

While George Mason University (GMU) prides itself on being an inclusive and diverse campus, we acknowledge the need for more interconnection between students of various backgrounds, especially between international and domestic students, who often face different levels of belonging in the university community.

At this event, we will put forward a first-of-its-kind peacemaking model, one that uses music to foster collaborative storytelling and mutual understanding around diverse groups of students with their own experiences in the university setting. The event will feature a live performance of selected Korean ArtPop songs, a genre that blends the poetry of art music with romantic and popular melodies. Following the performance, participants will engage in an interactive lyric-based storytelling workshop.

Guided by trained student facilitators from the Carter School, participants will use the poetry and sound of the music to build understanding and interconnection around their own personal stories and experiences living in the U.S. Through the event, International students will explore their motivations for coming to the United States. We also aim to unveil narratives among the broader student body, including domestic students, whose experiences often differ from those of their international student peers.

This is a student-led project that spans multiple disciplines and involves the guidance of multiple faculty advisors at GMU. The event is guided with the mentorship of The Narrative Transformation Lab and the sponsorship of the Dean’s Office at the Carter School and University Life at GMU.

Opening Remarks: 

Dr. Hyogeun Kim , Pioneer of the K-ArtPop Movement in ROK, Ewha Womans University

Dr. Matthew Thompson, KoreanArtSongResource.com, University of Michigan 

Format: In-Person or online 

Location: 3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington VA, 22201, Van Metre Hall, Room 308 

Presented by: Political Leadership Academy 

The third in a series of Nuclear Arms Control Policy events, institutional invitees include: The Arms Control Association, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Stimson Center, Alliance For Peacebuilding, and relevant DMV university-based Subject Matter Experts. 

Panelists: 

• Xiaodon Liang, Senior Policy Analyst, Arms Control Association
• Shizuka Kuramitsu, Research Assistant, Arms Control Association
• John Steinbach, Director, Hiroshima Nagasaki Peace Committee of the National Capitol Area

Format: Virtual 

This session highlights the most recent developments in the Carter School - Rotary Collaboration for Peace and introduces the audience to many of the activities that have occurred since its founding as well as key partners in the collaboration.

Speaker: Charles Davidson, PhD

Format: Virtual 

Energy has historically been a source of competition and conflict, but it can also serve as a powerful tool for cooperation and peace. By fostering collaboration over shared energy resources, technologies, and policies, nations can build trust, promote stability, and contribute to global peace. Energy can be leveraged cooperation and conflict resolution by different ways thanks to changing conditions of geopolitics in the 21st century. Energy, when managed cooperatively, can be a powerful tool for fostering peace and stability. By focusing on joint projects, diplomacy, regional cooperation, renewable energy transitions, energy access, struggle against climate change and environmental security, nations can use energy not as a source of conflict, but as a means to build lasting peace. 

The following presentations will be included in the session, in line with the aforementioned points: 

• New Arenas of Competition and Cooperation in the Geopolitical Dichotomy: The Struggle Against Climate Change and the Energy Transition 
• The Critical Role of Renewable Energy in Turkey’s Green Transition: Towards a 2053 Net Zero Emission Target
• Energy Security and the Seas
• Energy Security in the Mediterranean Sea

Panelists: 

• Dr. Azime Telli, Associate Professor, George Mason University
• Dr. Isil Demirtas, Associate Professor, Giresun University
• Dr. Levent Kırval, Professor, Istanbul Technical University
• Dr. Arda Ozkan, Associate Professor, Ankara University

Format: In-Person 

Location: Mason Square, 3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington VA, 22201 

Carter School presents its annual International Day at Mason Square. As part of Carter School Fall 2024 Peace Week, we welcome students, staff, faculty, and community members to join us in celebrating the many nationalities represented at Mason. Our event will showcase several countries from around the world. We hope you take this opportunity to connect with community members and share your voice. Walk around Mason Plaza and celebrate diverse cultures through live entertainment, food, crafts, and more! International Embassies will be present as well as local non-profits and artisans. 

Format: Virtual 

This session will focus on three areas of conflict: Burma, Sudan, and Afghanistan. These countries are experiencing mass atrocities on a daily basis. The vulnerable populations often do not have the necessary resources to prevent the mass atrocities they are currently experiencing or alleviate the devastation left behind by their perpetrators. It is leaders, especially women, that seek to implement innovative ways that contribute to atrocity prevention and peace efforts during these times of intense conflict. This session aims to bring in women leaders to discuss their efforts in supporting the impacted community and their contributions to atrocity prevention and peace.

Moderator: Amb. Kelley Currie, Former U.S. Ambassador-At-Large for Global Women's Issues and the U.S. Representative at the United Nations

Panelists: 

• Niemat Ahmade, President, Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) 
• Kay Soe, Advisor to Women Advocacy Coalition-Myanmar (WAC-M) 
• Naheed Farid, Executive Director, Her Future Afghanistan

Format: Virtual 

Join us for a dynamic and uplifting session during the Carter School's 2024 Fall Peace Week! This unique session will spotlight the real stories of food producers from across the globe, showcasing how innovation and entrepreneurship are driving resilience in communities both locally and internationally. Rather than dwelling on challenges, we’ll celebrate the creative solutions that are transforming the food sector. Hear directly from those in the field about what's working, what's not, and how their innovative approaches are shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.

Panelists: 

Charity Hanif, Independent Agribusiness and International Development Consultant

Charity is an MBA-qualified agribusiness and international development expert with nearly 25 years of experience in managing and evaluating global projects. Specializing in value chain analysis, strategic business planning, and SME development, Charity has driven initiatives that enhance livelihoods and market access.

Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Charity has worked in over 25 countries, including Angola, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Mozambique, and excels at building partnerships, leading teams, and conducting financial analysis for sustainable impact.

Alexandra Spieldoch, Director, Women’s Entrepreneurship and Global Business Development, iDE

https://www.ideglobal.org/people/alexandra-spieldoch

Over 25 years of experience in international development with travel to over 30 countries. Proven results in designing and building postharvest and food technology programs across Africa. Passionate about women’s rights, food security, innovation, and emerging markets. Published author on food governance, macroeconomic policy and human rights. Leader on organizational and partnership development. Multilingual.

Juan Pablo Echeverria, Outreach and Education Manager, ARCADIA Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture

https://www.arcadiafood.org/

Juan Pablo Echeverria is Arcadia's Outreach and Education Manager, leading farm education programs and partnerships to help Fairfax County communities grow their own food. Since joining in 2019, he has focused on addressing food system inequities, improving access, and reducing insecurity. With 12 years of experience, he co-founded an urban sustainability group and managed an organic farm in Guatemala. He holds a business management degree from Universidad Mesoamericana. 

Geoffrey Nyamota, Team Leader, iDE Kenya iDE | Bountifield, Kenya, post harvest (ideglobal.org)

Geoffrey is a market systems specialist with over 20 years of experience designing and implementing inclusive, sustainable business models. He has worked across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, focusing on market systems approaches, gender and youth integration, and agricultural value chains. Geoffrey has held leadership roles at iDE, CRS, Farm Africa, SCOPEinsight, and Fintrac Inc., specializing in private sector engagement and smallholder finance. He is a certified USAID Africa LEAD "champion for change" and holds an MBA in Project Planning, a BSc in Horticulture, and is pursuing a PhD in Organizational Leadership.

Ben Hartman, Founder of Clay Bottom Farm Clay Bottom Farm

Lean Toolkit: https://winrock.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/20210331-winrock-lean-toolkit.pdf

Ben Hartman is the author of three books, including The Lean Micro Farm (Chelsea Green, 2023) and The Lean Farm (Chelsea Green, 2016), winner of the prestigious Shingo Institute Research and Professional Publication Award. In 2017, Ben was named one of fifty emerging green leaders in the United States by Grist. Ben and his wife, Rachel Hershberger, own and operate Clay Bottom Farm in Goshen, Indiana, where they make their living growing specialty crops on 1/3 acre of land in production. 

Tamara Bogolasky, Founder of El Borde Farm The Edge | The Edge (elborde.cl)

Tamara Bogolasky is a Framer, Entrepreneur and Photographer based in Santa Ana in the Colchagua Valley of Chile. In 2017, after 13 years living in New York she returned to Chile to start a Permaculture Project and Market Garden Farm called El Bode.  Since 2017, El Borde sells a large variety of vegetables through a CSA Program and supplies Restaurants in Santiago, Pichilemu and the Colchagua Valley.  El Borde has also implemented an edible food forest and a sintropic forest with more than 1000 fruit, wood and native trees and shrubs.  El Borde is now starting it’s 8th season of production, growing on just under half an acre.

Resources:

“Food Matters: Why Climate Change May Hinge on What We Eat and How We Grow It”

presented by, Dr. Jonathan Foley

https://youtu.be/uUVTxQ4uHVU?si=0Or4_1WDRzX02CV_

Feeding 9 Billion | National Geographic

Local Farm Collectives in the DMV

Dreaming Out Loud Farm & Food Hub at Kelly Miller Farm

https://dreamingoutloud.org/farm-food-hub-at-kelly-miller/

Common Good City Farm

https://www.commongoodcityfarm.org/

The Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture

https://www.arcadiafood.org/

Format: Virtual 

Citizen activism has the power to drive significant social and political change. A significant number of citizens care about various social and political causes but face challenges in translating their concern into action. These barriers to entry include a lack of clear information and resources, insufficient time to engage in activities outside of work and family life, and skepticism about the impact of their efforts.

To address these challenges, this workshop will propose developing a software product that will serve as a comprehensive platform to empower individuals to become informed and take effective action on issues they care about.

The key features of this proposed software will include:

• Educational Resources: Providing users with reliable information and resources so they can understand the complexities of their chosen causes and advocate effectively.

• Actionable Tools: A suite of tools that allow users to easily engage in activism, such as petition signing, event participation, and communication with policymakers.

• Impact Tracking: Allow users to see the number of actions they’ve taken towards supporting their causes and the effectiveness of actions taken.

These key features highlight how the everyday citizen will engage with this software. However, questions remain regarding the content creators for these causes that everyday citizens can support. These questions include:

• Who can create a cause on this app?
  • Can any user create a cause for others to support?
  • Should it only be established organizations already doing work on a certain cause that can create a cause?

• Can the same cause be created more than once but by different people or organizations?
• How will this software tool handle competing causes? (i.e. pro-life vs pro-choice)

This workshop is intended to involve active participation from attendees. Attendees are encouraged to participate and provide feedback on the software product idea and brainstorm solutions to the questions above.

Speaker: Amani Mansour, M.S. Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Carter School and Technical Architect, Debug Academy 

Register

Format: In-Person 

Location: Alan and Sally Merten Hall, Room 1201, 4441 George Mason Blvd, Fairfax VA, 22030

Working group to discuss the complexities of the war in Gaza and take participants' questions. Opportunity to brainstorm about key issues that can be discussed in future dialogue sessions and begin to plan future sessions. Taking suggestions of various dialogues from our students, staff, and faculty during this session. 

Moderator: Bruce Aft, Professor, George Mason University