Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution

What does social justice look like during a pandemic and a time of racial turmoil?
George Mason University’s John Mitchell Jr. Program for History, Justice and Race (JMJP) has been busy answering that question.

Despite a path to George Mason University that was challenging and, in her own words, “unconventional,” incoming freshmen Juliette Reyes moved on to campus this fall.

The Parkland, Florida, native will be double majoring in government and international politics and conflict analysis and resolution, a decision based on an initial interest in politics in high school that grew into a passion.

Celine Apenteng may only have one biological sibling, but she regards nearly a dozen people from around the world as her sisters. This “extended family,” as she calls them, and Apenteng’s travels abroad, have had a profound impact on her view of education.

“There’s always something for you to learn,” said Apenteng, whose family has hosted exchange students from France, Moldova and Germany since she was 10. “Even if it’s not something new, the way somebody says something could impact how you think about it.”

Such efforts to ensure accessibility and inclusivity are key if the DEI Committee is to meet the goals laid out in its mandate, which includes increasing representation, accountability, and opportunities, as well as providing resources for addressing systemic injustices such as homophobia, sexism, xenophobia, and ableism.

On July 1, 2020, George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution opened the next chapter in its evolution from a center to a school when it officially became the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Dean Alpaslan Ozerdem addresses the adoption of our new identity as the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.