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Building Peace is Artistic Endeavor for For Immediate Release: RICHMOND, Ind. — Internationally recognized peace negotiator John Paul Lederach presents "The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace" as Earlham College's Carter Peace Lecturer on Tuesday, Feb. 5. 
John Paul Lederach is one of the best-known members of the global peacemaking community and is the author of Building Peace, which is regarded as a classic in the field. The talk begins at 7 p.m. in Earlham's Loose Lecture Hall in the Landrum Bolling Center. Admission is free and the public is invited. Lederach is Professor of International Peacebuilding at the University of Notre Dame's Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. "My talk is based on the book of the same title," Lederach says. "It suggests that peacebuilding may be as much an artistic, creative process as one that focuses on technique and method of conflict resolution. It requires imagination and art, and the spiritual capacity to sustain long-term work in the face of enormous challenges rising from repeated cycles of open violence and deeply rooted structural injustice." Lederach has an extensive academic and field record in conflict resolution, mediation and peacebuilding. His field experience at the international level includes peace work in Somalia, Northern Ireland, Nicaragua and Colombia. "I am not sure that what I have done in 30 years constitutes success," Lederach says. "It is a long, slow journey with many ups and downs, often working across decades with people. The key, if there is one, is a commitment to relationship building and accompaniment rather than facile solutions." His theories regarding conflict resolution have been widely published in several countries. "It has to do with the idea of giving a primary importance to the context and culture where one is working and to build approaches to conflict transformation or peacebuilding that are well-rooted or elicited, if you will, from the people," he says. "Elicitive approaches respond well to the challenges as opposed to prescriptive approaches from outside that promise quick fixes and recipes." Lederach says he sees his work as a religious vocation. "My faith keeps my feet to the ground, my heart hopeful and my persona humble. Something akin, I guess, to: do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God," he says. — EC — Contact:
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Earlham
College · 801 National Road West · Richmond,
Indiana 47374-4095 |