■ Barry Hart is developing a book
called Peacebuilding for Traumatized
Societies. The edited work will draw
together theorists and practitioners and their insights regarding the interface and
necessary interaction between trauma
recovery, justice, conflict transformation,
development and leadership for the
purpose of peacebuilding in societies
traumatized by war and major acts of
violence. It will also address structural
violence and examine historical, interand
trans-generational trauma.
During the past year he has done work with STAR (Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience) and related trauma work in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
He recently worked in East Africa where he presented STAR to a range of NGOs working in the Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In July 2006, he presented a paper on trauma healing and peacebuilding at the “Tools for Change” conference in Caux, Switzerland.
■ David Brubaker has been given some of Howard Zehr’s
leadership responsibilities at CJP and is
now its academic director.
He presented at the 2005 JustPeace Conference, Central Plains Mennonite Conference, and at the annual Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) conference.
In addition to teaching, he continues to work with Barry Hart in University Accord, including on a university-wide dialogue process on homosexuality.
An article that David submitted entitled “Change and Conflict in the Congregation” was published in the July issue of Leader magazine. He is also co-writing, with Julie Hart, an article on “Jesus as a Model for Social Change: Exploring Six Non-Violent Strategies.”
He continues a limited private practice and is polishing his PhD dissertation after successfully defending it at the University of Arizona on August 1.
■ Jayne Seminare Docherty played a key
role in leadership and organizational
matters at EMU this year. In addition, she
did consulting, training and/or speaking
in India, Sri Lanka, Belgium, Missouri,
South Carolina and Iowa. She has
continued to work with STAR (including
the adaptation for returning military
veterans) and is chair of the research
section of the Association for Conflict
Resolution (ACR).
She continues to work with the Hewlett practice-based theory project; she is finishing a paper (co-authored with two students) and she presented the research findings at the International Peace Research Association (IPRA).
She revised two previously-published papers and wrote two new chapters for The Negotiator’s Fieldbook. She also conducted an evaluation of a collaborative divorce program in Louisiana.
Jayne was elected to the governing council of IPRA and she completes her leadership duties with the research section of ACR in October. She has been working with Lisa Schirch on the 3D Security Initiative, and will continue that work in the coming year.
■ Nancy Good Sider completed her
dissertation and now has her PhD from
The Union Institute and University. Her dissertation focused on the ways that
peacebuilders transcend or recover from
the violent trauma they have personally
endured, as they journey from victim
to survivor to provider of assistance to
others.
Nancy has traveled widely this year, doing trainings and workshops in India and Nepal, including one that regrouped all of EMU’s Fulbright students from South Asia; in Southern Sudan to develop awareness among community and religious (Christian and Muslim) leaders about trauma healing, justice, peacebuilding and self-care; in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Nancy worked with CJP graduates Amela and Randy Puljek-Shank, who direct the MCC southeast Europe office, on postwar trauma-healing strategies.
Nancy also facilitated mediation trainings with the Baltimore Mediation Center and with the Washington & Lee School of Law; consulted with the Muhammed Ali Institute for Justice and Peace (Louisville, Ky.); and was keynote speaker for a dinner meeting of the Virginia Network for Women in Higher Education.
■ Lisa
Schirch began traveling to Washington,
D.C., one or two days a week this year
to build relationships with development,
peace, and security organizations in
nongovernmental organizations, the
military, and the U.S. government.
These relationships have blossomed this year, leading to Lisa’s increased involvement as a board member of the Alliance for Peacebuilding and the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution, and stronger relationships with InterAction, the Aspen Institute, Joint Forces Command, and the State Department’s new Office for Reconstruction and Stabilization.
She and others launched the 3D Security Initiative in early September. This project promotes development and diplomacy as security strategies.
This year Lisa also published a book entitled Civilian Peacekeeping: Preventing Violence and Making Space for Democracy with the Life and Peace Institute.
■
Howard Zehr continues to edit and
develop the Little Books of Justice and
Peacebuilding. Eleven are now out, and
Barb Toews’ Little Book of Restorative
Justice for People in Prison has just
been released.
Recent publications include a review of David Augsburger’s Hate-Work in the Conrad Grebel Review and a chapter on evaluation in New Directions in Restorative Justice: Issues, Practice, Evaluation.
Speaking/training activities include: a two-week speaking tour in Japan; a video-conference training session sponsored by Israel’s ministry of social affairs; in the Ukraine, a keynote address and workshop leadership at a conference to introduce restorative justice there; in Lebanon, restorative justice training at the House of Lawyers in Beirut; keynote speeches and workshop leadership in Ontario, Canada (along with an art exhibition done by CJP students), as well as in Rochester, NY, Charlottesville and Warrenton, VA, and at a prosecutor’s conference in Columbia, SC.