By Dot Maver

Kosmos is always on the lookout for cutting edge thinking, theory and practice from a global transformation and solutions-oriented perspective. The field of peacebuilding, part of this emerging new story, has been developing for a number of decades now and last week we were present for meetings with academics and participated in the three-day Alliance for Peacebuilding Conference in Washington DC. As Kosmos explores expanding our offerings to include learning portals, there is no question that peacebuilding is part of that consideration. Thus I was grateful to participate in the week-long immersion with friends and colleagues from around the world, peacebuilders who are serving in education, government and civil society.

(image) Lisa Schirch and Dot Maver

Meeting with Academics: The USIP Symposium

The twitter hashtag is #innovatepeace ~ offering a clue as to the essence of a rich and productive gathering in DC of peacebuilders in peace studies education. The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted The Fifth Annual Academic Symposium: Innovation in Graduate Peace and Conflict Resolution Education. This was followed by the three-day Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP) Conference: Peacebuilding and Democracy in a Turbulent World.

Dr. Ron Fisher, professor of International Relations, School of International Service, American University offered context setting remarks as moderator of the opening panel: “Disrupting Higher Education for the 21st Century”. He shared that the first symposium was at Brandeis University, followed by Notre Dame Kroc Institute, American University, George Mason University and in 2015 Georgetown University.

Craig Zelizer, Interim Director of Georgetown MA in Conflict Resolution and CEO of PCDN, Peace & Collaboration Development Network, coordinated the meeting and offered remarks regarding challenges and issues for Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies Programs. While there is a systems crisis in higher education, the field of peacebuilding continues to gain momentum, and there are now close to 100 academic programs in North America and dozens around the world. Major issues in education today include providing 21st Century skills for jobs that are fast emerging, adapting, and integrating curriculum. Craig suggests that conflict is not the issue as we continue to build the relatively new and emergent field of peacebuilding, rather it is structural and social justice.

Throughout the day, leading educators and program consultants talked of the need to integrate theory and practice; to open more programs in the global south; to partner with societal systems such as the criminal justice system; and to innovate and disrupt in line with designing new ways of educating that include:

°  reflective practice

°  appreciative inquiry

°  imaginative inquiry

°  interpersonal reconciliation

°  dialogue and deep listening

°  trauma awareness

°  elicitive methods and so much more.

An emerging new story is that there are now jobs for professional peacebuilders. Undergrads, all over the world through all sectors of society, are beginning to realize this and the field is growing exponentially.

Vice-Provost at Georgetown University, Randy Bass’s comment that it is about context not content stays with me. He added, “The great tension of our time in education is between integration and dis-integration.” It is time to take an integrated holistic approach to education. However, there is nothing separate in this emerging worldview so let’s clarify that the separation of theory from practice; of courses; of virtually everything in education must now serve integration, i.e. seeing everything through the lens of synthesis.

Alliance for Peacebuilding Conference

A description offered by AfP offers insight into the essence of the conference:

Around the globe, the struggle between civil society voices and government repression is giving rise to violence, extremism, and toxic politics. The peacebuilding and governance/democracy communities recognize the need to work together in order to address the issues of governance, legitimacy, fragility, and disenfranchisement that underlie many violent conflicts today. The Alliance for Peacebuilding conference brings together members of the peacebuilding community with leading policymakers, members of the military, private sector professionals, and civil society representatives to build bridges in both theory and practice between these fields. From repression of civil society in Russia, to the protests over Ferguson here at home, the conference will highlight the impact of social movements on peace and democracy.

Throughout the AfP Conference, topics ranged from “The Crisis of Shrinking Civil Society Space Around the World” to “Making a Case Statement for Peacebuilding,” when Bob Berg said, “We will be successful when key policy makers opt to try peace first, not force or war.” It was consistently stated that peacebuilding is now a recognized field that is making a difference and that there is a need for raising awareness, encouraging more integration and collaboration, and pursuing effective measurement of learnings and successes.

The opening keynote by Sarah Sewall, Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, US Department of State, made clear that a cultural shift is underway, a shift to prevention in order to reduce the risk of terrorism. Those presenting, along with many participants, consistently spoke to the rise in proactive peacebuilding—prevention through dialogue and development—and many shared that policy makers and/or governmental decision makers are now consulting with peacebuilders.

Nonviolent movements are effective at a 2-1 ratio over violent revolutions according to Maria Stephan, senior policy fellow at USIP, who shared her research in a riveting presentation.

As the peacebuilding field continues to demonstrate effectiveness on the ground and research supports this work, we are realizing shifting attitudes, behavioral changes, new cultural norms and, ultimately, policy changes that reflect this new story. She spoke of “advocating a movement mindset in support of Civil Society Organizations” and encouraged us not to create a marketplace for activism but rather to support in resourceful ways and to learn from others. In the midst of crackdowns by governments on democracy, we are seeing people power movements that are calling for and forcing change—the ‘fourth wave’ of democracy.

We are seeing ordinary citizens coming together and engaging in extra-institutions direct action in an attempt to shift power in society to advance human rights and freedoms. At times we need to shake up a system to get to meaningful resolutions in peacebuilding.

A highlight of the conference was the Innovation Panel: How Neuroscience is Revolutionizing Peacebuilding. [at 4:34] Dr. Emile Bruneau, research scientist at MIT, encouraged the peacebuilding field to continue this important work as we are the ‘innoculation for conflict escalating to violence’ and after describing how the brain works said, “once you understand this reality you are no longer impacted.” Powerful indeed.

It was a joy to participate in this peacebuilding conference with a feeling of being part of an anchored institution without the inherent limitations of that term. Many colleagues spoke to the need to continue to anchor and develop the field without getting caught in the old ways of silos and ‘institutionalism’—freedom to tell the new story through the lens of peacebuilding; charged to respond according to need; and trusting process over product as we move through these next ten years in the spirit of harmonious human relationship and conflict resolution.

(image) Sharing Kosmos

The very definition of peace is living in right relationship with self, others and all life. May these social movements provide avenues for democracy and systemic change throughout the world. May global citizens everywhere continue to reveal the new civilization. And may peacebuilding continue to provide avenues of conflict resolution in all sectors of society prior to escalation to violence, ultimately breaking the cycle of violence and creating the conditions for a culture of peace.