Welcome to Our Program's Web Site

Ben Hastil

Ben Hastil handed out fliers during his internship with UNITE HERE for Hotel Workers Rising in Summer 2008.

The Peace and Global Studies (PAGS) Program is one of the majors for which Earlham College is best known. Not only does the program have a strong academic reputation, it is also among the most well established peace studies programs in the United States. Peace Studies has been offered at Earlham College since 1974, originally under the name "Peace and Conflict Studies." In 1981, the faculty gave the program its current name to reflect a focus on international issues and an emphasis upon the importance of historical context in studying the causes of conflict and how conflict can be prevented or transformed. PAGS students analyze issues of war, poverty, racism, sexism, colonialism and — indeed — violence in all its forms; peacebuilding through nonviolent initiatives for social change, whether these be through the mechanisms of international law, through popular movements, or through local initiatives at community level; ecological challenges; challenges posed by economic structures; and conflict resolution and conflict transformation.

The PAGS Program is rooted in Earlham's Quaker identity. Since the 1660 Quaker Peace Testimony, the Society of Friends has consistently engaged the idea of peace and has collectively dedicated itself to a dialogue with the wider world concerning the best ways to live out this testimony and the best ways of bringing peace to fruition through action.

Mica Whitney and Molly McCracken

Mica Whitney (with guitar) and Molly McCracken, who traveled to Santo Domingo over spring break in 2009, and participated in "Art and Revolution," sponsored by Justicia Global which was facilitated by Mark Webb, a PAGS alum.

Building on the premise that there can be no sustainable peace without justice, the PAGS Program primarily aims to develop students' competencies in fields contributing to social transformation meant to engender greater social justice and therefore peace. PAGS is thoroughly interdisciplinary, and its embrace of interdisciplinary marks the program's commitment to the best that a liberal arts education has to offer. The core sequence of courses that all PAGS majors are required to take draws from the disciplines of Economics, History, Philosophy, Politics and Sociology/Anthropology. At the upper-class level, courses focus on theory and methodology for transforming existing social, political, and symbolic structures, and students combine this academic work with experiential opportunities outside of the classroom, in internships, paid work opportunities, and off-campus study programs (several of which are officially recognized as PAGS programs, including Northern Ireland and the Border Studies Program).

In addition, each PAGS major chooses a focus from among the following:

  • Conflict Transformation
  • Religion and Pacifism
  • Social Theory and Social Movements
  • International War and Peace
  • African-American Civil Rights
  • Women and Social Change
  • Environmental Studies
  • Student-Designed Focus

While it does offer the student a great deal of flexibility, the PAGS major is one of the more demanding in terms of requirements. The senior year for PAGS majors is extremely rigorous, as it requires both a group project, in which seniors collaborate to choose a topic, research it in depth, and prepare a presentation for the public at large; and a senior seminar, in which we both explore key texts that are being read widely in the field of Peace Studies, and each student writes an original thesis in the range of 30-35 pages.

The PAGS Program was founded with the idea and intention that learning related to peace would not solely be restricted to PAGS majors but rather be widely available throughout the curriculum as a whole, as well as in a broad range of co-curricular activities. As such, the College supports many peace-related activities and institutions, including the Indianapolis Peace Institute, an initiative arising from the Plowshares Collaborative, in which Earlham College participates along with Goshen College and Manchester College; Peace House, a college-owned theme house whose residents organize the College's annual Peace With Justice Week; and Miller Farm, a working farm owned by Earlham College and run by students who are active in the local food movement and dedicated to environmental sustainability.