What does it mean to fight for unity? There have been countless historic struggles waged to overcome divisions within a society and to create greater unity and inclusion. Many of the civil liberties we enjoy today stem from the outcomes of precisely such fights. Based on this, one could conclude that fighting to confront systemic inequalities and injustices have intrinsic social benefits. But, can we be so sure that this is the correct or only conclusion? Conflict—regardless of the goals—has destroyed the lives of countless millions and created unmeasurable destruction in our world. How can this be good? Since the 1960s theories and approaches to addressing social conflicts have grown parallel and in conjunction with social movements. What if these two distinct approaches to social transformation—revolution vs. resolution—do not need to be at such odds with one another? What if it were possible to create greater social cohesion through how we wage our fights? Drawing on a rich mix of knowledge and ideas—from conflict resolution theory to complexity thinking to theories of adult development—this paradox or tension is what this talk will explore.
September 14th, 8:00 pm CEST
Fighting for Unity: A Peacebuilder’s Perspective
What does it mean to fight for unity? As part of the speakers in dialogue series, experienced peacebuilder, Dr. Marie Pace, will share her insights on the paradox of waging conflict with the objective of peace and unity within social transformations.
Start:
2020-09-14 20:00:00
End:
2020-09-14 21:15:00
Access Through: https://zoom.us/j/2110820518
Organizer:
Marie Pace
Marie Pace, PhD is a peacebuilding researcher, advisor, educator and coach, bringing together a rich mix of experience to questions surrounding the relationship between personal and collective transformation. She has both a practical and theoretical understanding as to why many approaches to addressing intractable social challenges often fail. For over twenty-five years she has worked in over a dozen conflict affected countries focused on strategies for addressing deep social divisions. This included work with UN agencies, USAID, the US Institute for Peace, international NGOs and private contractors, supporting peace and stability related programming. She has taught in various contexts, including at Bard College Globalization and International Affairs Program in New York City.
Her PhD is from Syracuse University. She is author of numerous articles on peace and complexity as well as her book, The Compassionate Listening Project, a case-study in citizen diplomacy and peace-making in Israel and Palestine. Marie sees the increasing uncertainty and volatility in our world is an imperative to stretch into new frontiers of our human potential through testing new ways of thinking, being and acting.
Visit her at: www.reflexivepeacepractice.com