Spring 2024 Peace Week

Format: Virtual 

Presented by: RCID Lab 

The session will present the stories of Ukrainian people regarding their account of the war violence, occupation, and territorial sentiments. Based on the multiple research projects, the presenters will discuss insights into both war’s long-term impact and the prospects for the future of Ukraine based on the analysis of interviews and case studies that capture the thoughts, feelings and struggles during times of war.  Such in-depth information about occupied territories can inform international officials, society leaders, and community activists in their efforts to create programs of transitional justice, accountability, and peace processes.  

Panelists: 

• Karina Korostelina, Professor, Carter School
• Gerard Toal, Virginia Tech
• Elina Beketova, CEPA
• Greta Uehling, University of Michigan
• Oksana Myshlovska, University of Bern  

Format: Virtual 

The session will focus on  a remarkable yet forgotten achievement in the history of women's peace activism: a massive petition, signed by nearly 400,000 Welsh women, which was presented by the women of Wales to the women of the United States in 1924. The goal of this petition was to urge American women (who had recently gained suffrage) to push for the US to join the League of Nations. Our session will explore what lessons for today we can learn from this unique moment in the history of women's peace activism. We will also consider the role that smaller nations can play in the international peace movement. Panelists are all members of the Peace Petition Partnership (in Welsh, the Partneriaeth Hawlio Heddwch: Deiseb Menywod Cymru 1924), which is dedicated to remembering, celebrating, and fulfilling the vision of world peace created by the women of post-World War I Wales.

Panelists: 

• Jill Evans, former Member of the European Parliament for Plaid Cymru
• Ann Griffith, Chair of Our Grandmothers' Peace North America, and honorary fellow of Aberystwyth University
• Mererid Hopwood, Professor of Welsh and Celtic Studies at Aberystwyth University, Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod, and fellow of the Learned Society of Wales
• Elin Jones, Presiding Officer of the Welsh Senedd/Senate
• Jacqueline Burek, Assistant Professor of English at George Mason University, and archival researcher for Our Grandmothers' Peace

Format: In-Person 

This presentation covers artists who lived through WWI, WWII, Hiroshima bombing, Vietnam War, the Mexican Revolution, the Lebanese War, the Iraq War, and the endless war on terrorism. Art serves as a conduit for dialogue, conveying messages that resonate universally and inviting viewers to reflect upon their own beliefs and values. Artists provoke, stimulate action, evoke empathy, and inspire change by expressing oppressed perspectives and fostering a shared understanding that transcends divisive narratives. By creating a space for contemplation and introspection, my presentation urges the audience to reconsider preconceived notions and envision a world where compassion triumphs over conflict. In the face of adversity, I firmly believe that art has the power to cultivate hope, sow the seeds of understanding, and contribute to the collective pursuit of a more just and peaceful world.

Speaker: Chawky Frenn, Associate Professor, GMU School of Art 

Format: Virtual 

Presented by: Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation (MHCR) 

Join the Carter School Working Group on Forgiveness & Reconciliation (WGFR), the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation (MHCR), The Truth Telling Project, and the Think Peace Learning and Support Hub for this interactive workshop on trauma-informed truth telling to support social impact and address systemic injustice. We will use the context of Iowa City’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to create a platform for a co-visioning session on how each participant can either support or expand this work. Participants will be introduced to the Trauma-Informed Truth Telling and Witnessing Protocol, co-authored by The Truth Telling Project and Think Peace Learning and Support Hub, which can be used as a resource to support similar efforts across the country and around the globe. The Trauma-Informed Truth Telling and Witnessing Protocol is a document that provides an overview of the history of truth-telling and instruction on how to prepare truth tellers and witnesses to engage in truth-telling hearings. The Protocol also provides guidance to TRC commissioners on how to hold hearings in a way that prevents retraumatization and facilitates healing as a means of fostering systems transformation. All are invited and encouraged to embrace the challenge of supporting this movement!

Panelists: 

• Eduardo Gonzalez, Think Peace Learning and Support Hub
• Leo Hylton, Think Peace Learning and Support Hub and the Carter School Working Group on Forgiveness & Reconciliation (WGFR)
• Deborah Sachare, Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation (MHCR)
• Melinda Salazar, The Truth Telling Project

Format: In-Person, Fairfax Campus, Meet in Merten Hall

Mason students, join the Carter School undergraduate students as we make an impact on campus by promoting peace with inspiring quotes. We will meet to grab chalk and a list of quote options, before distributing across campus. Use your voice and artistic skills to transform this campus! After chalking join us for fireside chats. 

Format: In-Person, Fairfax Campus, HUB  (Theme: Conflict)  & Johnson Center firepits (Theme: Peace)

GMU students! Gather for a Fireside Chat with your classmates, staff, and faculty. Themes including Conflict and Peace. Hosted by the Dialogue & Difference Project. 

Format: Virtual 

Presented by: The Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation (MHCR)

We are holding space for inside Dr. Chiranjibi Bhandari, who will share about the importance of reintegration for ex-combatants in his respective context, Nepal. Although the contexts and practitioner approaches are different, each reintegration effort is part of bringing society back together after violence and an integral part of intrastate reconciliation. Dr. Chiranjibi Bhandari and Rowda Olad will talk about the processes he has expertise and experience in, and why it is an important part of building peace.

Panelists: 

• Antti Pentikainen, MHCR and Think Peace Learning and Support Hub
• Dr. Chiranjibi Bhandari, Tribhuvan University
• Merisa Mattix, MHCR

Format: Virtual 

Presented by: RCID Lab 

The roundtable will bring together multiple scholars to discuss the environmental peacebuilding field and projects. The session will discuss various ways of integrating environmental considerations into efforts to build and maintain peace while recognizing the interconnectedness of environmental factors and conflict dynamics, seeking to address both environmental and peacebuilding goals simultaneously. Environmental Peacebuilding is uniquely positioned as a field to address root problems of conflict and violence because it is, by definition, concerned with intergenerational sustainability and human security. It is a natural companion to contending with issues like historic marginalization, (settler) colonialism and its aftermaths, and systemic marginalization that affect conflicts worldwide. The session will also discuss effective ways of promoting sustainable development, preventing environmental degradation, and managing natural resources in order to contribute to conflict prevention, resolution, and post-conflict recovery.

Panelists: 

• Karina Korostelina, Professor, Carter School 
• Jeff Helsing, Research Associate Professor, Carter School 
• Arthur Romano, Associate Professor, Carter School 
• Silvia Danielak, Assistant Professor, Carter School 
• Benjamin Waltner Goossen, Assistant Professor,, Carter School
• Leah G Nichols, Executive Director of George Mason University's Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE)
• Jeremy M Campbell, Associate Director for Strategic Engagement, ISE 

Format: Virtual 

Session title: Podcasting, Digital Storytelling, and Urban Peacebuilding

Inspired by the new “Peace City Podcast” produced by the Carter School’s Urban Peacebuilding Program, this panel discussion will feature scholars, communications professionals, and journalists reflecting on the power and potential of podcasting and digital storytelling as forms of digital peacebuilding in urban contexts. The panelists will share insights from their experiences as peace, gender justice, racial justice, and AI ethics researchers and their practical experiences as podcast hosts, producers, and digital storytellers. The discussion will be guided by a series of  key questions concerning how podcasting and digital storytelling can support efforts to: 1) communicate and teach about peace and justice to new communities in innovative ways; 2)  build community, organize, and mobilize across physical and digital divides; 3) amplify the voices of changemakers and challenge the status quo when it comes to whose voices and stories are heard in relation to violence prevention and peacebuilding; and 4) democratize and disrupt academic conventions around what counts as peace and justice knowledge production. Each panelist will speak for 10 minutes, followed by a 20-minute discussion and Q&A.

Panelists: 

• Kerry McInerney, Research Fellow, University of Cambridge, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence
• Nicky Armstrong, Communications Consultant and PhD Student, Queen Mary University London, Communications and Social Change
• William McInerney, Research Officer, London School of Economics and Political Science, Centre for Women, Peace and Security
• Kamaya Truitt, Director of Youth Reporting, New Talent and Community Partnerships, WUNC North Carolina Public Radio 
• Vernice Heard, Carter School Shinnyo Fellow, George Mason University
• Arthur Romano, Associate Professor, George Mason University, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

Format: Virtual 

Presented by: Better Evidence Project

This roundtable will focus on the Better Evidence Project’s efforts to curate research and cases for better-informed decisions in the peacebuilding field by drawing upon the research and fieldwork of 4 George Mason University students from different programs who are engaging with peacebuilding and conflict resolution ideas from different perspectives.  The discussion will center on why their research and fieldwork matters for the peacebuilding field, including practitioners around the world, policymakers, donors and scholars and how they are contributing to bridging theory and practice. 

The panelists will explore the interconnectedness of peacebuilding and local context. The panel will also highlight the Better Evidence Project’s commitment to continuous learning and sharing and how, as a community of practice, we can more effectively share what we are learning.

Panelists: 

• Engy Mohamed Ibrahim Said is a PhD Candidate in the Carter School, and current Fellow, Weatherhead Scholars Program, Harvard University. Engy’s research explores how the ongoing conflict in Syria has changed the nature of the Syrian economy and economic governance since 2011. 
• Heejoo Cheon is a PhD candidate in the Schar School of Policy and Government, and recipient of a Doctoral Research Scholars Award from the provost's office. Heejoo’s research focuses on the relationship between non-violent action, mass mobilization and levels of democracy.
• Aemi Desideri, is a Master’s student working on a degree in Conflict Analysis, Resolution, and Mediterranean Security in the Carter School’s Malta program and has been focused on conflict issues in the Sahel.
• Isabella Cuevas is a Master’s student in the Carter School, Outreach Coordinator for the Better Evidence Project, and a 2023 recipient of a GMU OSCAR research fellowship that enabled her to do conflict facilitation fieldwork in a village in Colombia.

Discussants:

• 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

Format: In-Person 

George Mason is one of a small number of Universities that offers a Conflict Resolution degree – and was recently named the #1 program at a public university. Even one class can enhance your career readiness because your ability to handle conflict determines how you advance in your career. Join us during this information session to learn about classes and opportunities open to anyone on campus. 

Panelists: 

• Mara Schoeny, Director of Undergraduate Programs, Carter School 
• Averi Jordan, Recruitment Coordinator and Academic Advisor
• Jane Walker, Director, Undergraduate Student Services

Format: In-Person

A focus group: Examining the evolution of Jimmy Carter's geo-political Trilateral Commission (Europe, North America and Japan) to Mel Hardy's proposed Pentagonal Commission on the Arts and Peace to include the civil society actors in (1) Europe (2) North America (3) Asia (4) Latin America and (5) Africa. Participants will explore the primacy of the Arts in Peacebuilding in a "new world order".

Panelists: 

• Melvin Hardy, Instructor, Political Leadership Academy (convener)
• Charles Krause, Journalist and Fellow, Political Leadership Academy
• Brian Dailey, Artist

Format: In-Person

Serve boldly with the Peace Corps. In more than 60 countries, Peace Corps Volunteers are putting their purpose, passion, and skills to work in partnership with welcoming host communities in the world. At Mason, we have a Peace Corps Prep Program that provides students with additional knowledge, experience, skills, and mentors needed to prepare for service in the Peace Corps. Find out about these opportunities.

Panelists: 

• Ms. Soua Pha, Peace Corps Regional Recruiter for Northern Virginia
• Ella Jackson, double major Conflict Resolution and Global Affairs, May 24 grad
• Dr. Ann Ludwick, Peace Corps Prep Program Coordinator
• Rose Kemmel, Hispanic Recruitment Program Manager at USAID

Format: In-Person  

Presented by: RCID Lab 

The session will describe advances and limitations of contact theory in the field of peacebuilding, democratic development, conflict analysis and resolution. Contact theory – one of the most influential theoretical ideas in social psychology – posits that positive, enduring contact between antagonistic groups that facilitates cooperation toward common goals can reduce intergroup prejudice. Despite widespread use of intergroup contact in democracy, human rights, and governance (DRG) programs, there is a lack of systematic consideration of DRG program approaches and theories of change in relation to a wide body of empirical evidence on contact theory. To address this need, the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution conduct collaborative academic-practitioner research project to improve DRG programming involving intergroup contact through the utilization and sharing of empirical evidence and tested methods. The session will present results of mixed-methods review of DRG programs in relation to the latest evidence on intergroup contact. 

Panelists: 

• Karina Korostelina, Professor, Carter School
• Susan Allen, Professor, Director of Graduate Programs, Carter School 
• Beltina Gjeloshi,Project Manager, Ph.D student, Carter School

Format: In-Person

Presented by: Center for Peacemaking Practice 

This roundtable will bring together women, including intellectuals and scholars, who have extensive experience participating in US-Russia dialogue processes. The roundtable aims to provide a space for these women to share their experiences with the process, discuss theories about future opportunities, and explore ways in which women can engage in dialogue within highly polarized political settings to establish the foundation for constructive interaction. Additionally, the discussion will focus on how these experiences can be utilized once there is an opening in the political space.

Panelists: 

• Cynthia Lazaroff, Founder of Women Transforming Our Nuclear Legacy
• Susan Allen, Director of Graduate Programs, Carter School 
• Margarita Tadevosyan, Executive Director, Center for Peacemaking Practice, Carter School

Format: In-Person  

Stop by to participate in this global community art exchange, facilitated by the Fall 2023 Arts & Peacebuilding Culture for DMV Leaders cohort. 

Take a few peaceful moments for yourself -- to reflect on peace for you, for your community, and for the world. And then make a small piece of art that shares your vision of global peace and goodwill.

All supplies will be provided to draw, paint, or collage on individual 4-inch wooden rounds. These will be grouped together in a collaborative artwork to exhibit in April and then mailed to a partner group elsewhere in the world. In exchange, we will receive an artwork from our global partner to display in the following months.

This is the 30th year for the UNESCO-prize-nominated Global Art Project for Peace, which facilitates friendship, tolerance, connection, and understanding. Over 160,000 participants in 95 countries on 7 continents have simultaneously created and exchanged their messages for peace around the world.

Format: Virtual

Open Source Investigations (OSINT) have become increasingly important in the documentation of war crimes and human rights abuses. OSINT involves the collection and analysis of a wide range of publicly and commercially available information, such as satellite imagery, photos and videos shared online, social media posts, and news reports. These methods have been used to document war crimes and human rights abuses in a number of recent conflicts, including the Syrian civil war, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and recent events in Sudan. 

This session will explore how the Conflict Observatory leverages OSINT data collection technologies, including satellite imagery and social media analytics, to document human rights abuses, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other atrocities in the international system. The goal of this initiative is to advance accountability and justice by supporting data-driven decisions and war crimes prosecutions with scientific documentation utilizing geospatial technologies. 

The Conflict Observatory is funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, managed by the MITRE Corp., and implemented in close collaboration with the private sector and academia. 

Panelists: 

• Dr. Susan Wolfinbarger, Chief Geospatial Information Officer, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, U.S. State Department 
• Keith Noble, Ph.D., Director, Office of Advanced Analytics, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, U.S. Department of State
• Dan Rothbart, Professor, Carter School 
• Caitlin Howarth, Yale Humanitarian Research Lab
• David Marshall, The MITRE Corp.

Format: In-Person 

This is your chance to come and 'shop' through all the opportunities the Carter School Offers including: Ambassadors, Shinnyo Fellowship, Narrative Transformation Lab, Better Evidence Project, Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation, Peace Engineering Lab, John Mitchell Jr. Program, Transitioning Justice Lab, and Dialogue and Difference. See what the Carter School can provide you to enhance your college experience and enhance your resume.

Format: Virtual 

Sponsor: RCID Lab

In an effort to build more equitable, resilient communities, there has been an increase in the number of researchers and practitioners working to thread together elements from natural resource management, climate change adaptation, public health management, and other humanitarian disaster relief with conflict prevention, community-based research, mediation, and science diplomacy. This work goes by many different names, but one emerging moniker is Environmental Peacebuilding.  Due to its inherently transdisciplinary nature, uniting social scientists and humanities experts with natural scientists and stakeholders from different sectors, Environmental Peacebuilding was identified as a theme for potential development as a collaborative research by the network of international funders in the Belmont Forum. The Belmont Forum and its partner Future Earth have canvassed researchers and funders around the world to understand what the research and stakeholder priorities are in Environmental Peacebuilding as well as the challenges to collaboration, funding, and implementation of potential awards in this growing field. The outcome of this year-long scoping process is a roadmap in support of development of international funding calls including themes focused on advancing Environmental Peacebuilding approaches through transdisciplinary projects with multi-national teams.  During this 90-minute event, the team leading the scoping will share an overview of the scoping results, solicit new input, and share past examples of Environmental Peacebuilding funding and outcomes from the Belmont Forum portfolio.

Panelists: 

• Ben Adjei (GMU), Graduate Research Fellow, Institute for a Sustainable Earth
• Judit Ungvari (GMU/Future Earth), Global Research and Coordination Co-Lead 
• Erica Key (Future Earth), US Global Hub Director
• Makyba Charles-Ayinde (Future Earth), Strategic Partnerships for the Global South Director
• Karina Korostelina, Professor, Carter School

Format: Virtual 

This session will highlight the 5 pillars of the Rotary Club - Carter School Collaboration for Peace. It will explore the vision of the collaboration toward both domestic and international goals, focusing on peacebuilding incubation and acceleration, education, peace salons, and its integration with the Better Evidence Project

Panelists: 

• Dr. Charles Davidson, Political Leadership Academy Director, Carter School

Format: Virtual 

Presented by: Transforming the Mind Peace Lab 

The current political crisis in the United States is fueled in part by the 702 right-wing extremist groups active today. Their routine operations include aggression through physical violence, lethal threats and hate-filled bigotry. But how can such aggression be reduced, controlled and prevented? This panel discussion brings together experts on both radicalization and the deradicalization of extremists. Taking an insiders’ perspective, panelists reveal the insights of former extremists with their first-hand testimony of the motivations for joining and the possibility of disengaging from extremist groups. Many formers have contributed to deradicalization programs launched by policy makers, law enforcement agencies and government officials. This panel includes a former leader of a neo-Nazi group who has launched a deradicalization program called Beyond Barriers, the Director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism and a professor of conflict analysis and resolution at the Carter School

Panelists: 

• Anne Speckhard, Director of the International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism
• Daniel Rothbart, Professor of Peace and Conflict Resolution, and director of the Peace Lab Transforming the Mind for Peace at the Carter School

Format: Virtual 

We will launch Recolonizing Africa, a new book by alumna Mariam Mniga Kurtz, explaining how the legacy of colonialism and the nature of the liberal economy plays a significant role in the development of Africa today, keeping Africa poor and dependent; this book explains how trade liberalization, deregulation, and privatization had opened doors for the New Scramble for Africa. 

Panelists: 

• Arthur Romano, Associate Professor, Carter School
• Dr. Mariam Kurtz, Carter School Visiting Scholar
• Eric Chinje, GMU Visiting Scholar formerly with the World Bank and Africa Media Initiative
• Prof. Gwendolyn Mikell, Georgetown University, former president of the American African Studies Association 

Format: Virtual 

This panel aims to shed light on the hidden impacts of militarism and prioritize the voices of those often left out of mainstream narratives. We will focus on stories that challenge norms and commit to feminist, anti-racist, and decolonized perspectives. Throughout our discussion, we will explore the intersections between militarism and historically excluded communities while navigating structural conflicts and inequalities. Our panel features experts, activists, and practitioners from these communities engaging in critical dialogue, addressing the social and environmental consequences often overlooked in militarism discourse. This panel is an intellectual exploration and a call to action. By re-centering the perspectives of those historically excluded, we can equip ourselves to actively contribute to a more just, feminist, and peaceful world. It is a journey towards challenging the normalcy of militarism and embracing the richness of diverse experiences in our pursuit of genuine peace and justice. 

Panelists: 

• Patrick Hiller, War Prevention Initiative
• Faria Rashid, Doctoral Student, Carter School
• Theresa Arriola, Concordia University
• Diana Duarte, MADRE

Format: Virtual 

A panel of Carter School Alumni discuss their road to employment and how the Carter School prepared them for success in a diverse set of fields. This panel is interactive.

Panelists: 

• Dr. John DeRosa, PhD, Principal Product Manager – Technical, Amazon Web Service, Affiliated Faculty, Carter School, Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland – Global Campus
• Dr. Sandra Tombe, USIP
• Dr. Lisa McLean, Assistant Professor, Department of Thanatology, King's University College
• Cindra Rehman, USDA

Format: In-Person 

Interested in the Carter School? We invite you to come and meet some of our amazing students and faculty while enjoying a free dessert bar. We are always excited to share how our program is using conflict resolution skills to create a positive impact in the World we live in. This opportunity is open to prospective students who want to know more about who we are, what we  accomplish, and how you can join us in our mission.

Format: Virtual 

Sponsor: Daniel Rothbart

As conflict dynamics continue to change and violence escalates globally, especially in communities, we see an unprecedented shift and constant engagements in the Conflict Analysis and Resolution and peacebuilding field among stakeholders, toward contextually creative, innovative, and effective community led approaches. In the virtual event, a panel of international development and peacebuilding actors will discuss effective innovative processes that tend to anchor on an emerging paradigm, Emancipatory religious elicitive peacebuilding. It is a framework, which fundamentally embraces phenomenological, metaphysical, and ethical realities in peacebuilding and operationalizes the concept of a just peace, and acknowledges a global approach to peace that tends to resolve the difficulties the various CAR and peacebuilding theoretical schools encounter.

Panelists: 

• Charles Kwuelum, PhD Candidate (ABD), Carter School, and Senior Peace Education and Advocacy Associate, International Affairs, NPJM/Mennonite Central Committee
• Benjamin Maiangwa, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Lakehead University, Ontario, Canada.
• Lantana Abdullahi Bako National Co-Coordinator, the Nigerian Women Mediators Network & Women for Positive Peacebuilding Initiative
• Gopar Tapkida, Co-Representative for Mennonite Central Committee, Zimbabwe.

Format: Virtual 

This event will be discussing how urban culture and community can be understood through a non-collegiate lens in the academic space. The aim of this discussion is to gauge how academics understand black urban culture and the associated systemic challenges  versus individuals who are from those communities but do not have access to higher education. With this event, my goal is to introduce and discuss new ways that instructors can utilize non-collegiate community voices when discussing the black urban community in the academic space. 

Panelists: 

• Tyrone Walker, Director of Reentry Services at Georgetown Prisons Justice Initiative 
• Briana Davis Ph.D Student and Graduate Lecturer in Department of Communications at George Mason University 
• Nandi Barton, Community Engagement Specialist at the DC Primary Care Association

Format: Virtual 

Presented by: Transitioning Justice Lab 

The session will be presented in a workshop format. For the first half of the workshop, 4 speakers, including formerly and currently incarcerated individuals, will address the audience on how Restorative Justice processes work inside the prisons, and what are some of the roadblocks and challenges. The workshop will then invite participants to join break out rooms to deepen some of the issues that were raised in the plenary.

Panelists: 

• Dr. Patricia Maulden, Professor, Carter School 
• Participants from Maine State Prison and SCI Phoenix, Pennsylvania