A Look Inside 2019
The Center for Peacemaking reflects on another success-filled year
A growing national profile
The Center for Peacemaking’s 2019 started in the spotlight. The National Catholic Reporter (NCR) published two stories on the Center. One article focused on the Promoting Assets, Reducing Crime (PARC) initiative; the other column covered the peace studies program. Additionally, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published a profile on the Center’s founder Terry Rynne, detailing the Center’s work and impact throughout Milwaukee.
In many ways, this coverage marked the Center achieving a few of the aspirational benchmarks of our founding director, Fr. G. Simon Harak, S.J. From the day the Center opened in 2008, Simon dreamed of the Center becoming a nationally and internationally recognized model of integrated nonviolent research and action.
We were profoundly sad to learn of Simon’s passing in early November. To ensure we carry forward Simon’s memory and vision with us, we dedicated the Center’s student room in his honor in December.
Addressing community needs
Promoting Assets, Reducing Crime (PARC) continues to address pressing community needs through programs that address commercial corridors, housing, and safety. In the five years since PARC began, we have seen improvement in each of these areas: 37 new businesses, 16% increase in assessed median home value, and 30% decrease in violent crime.
Marquette students continue to gain valuable experience from working on PARC and with Near West Side Partners. This year the survey team collected 500+ resident responses about their perceptions, needs, and satisfaction. Students also coordinate PARC’s sexual assault and domestic violence awareness and prevention programs.
Near West Side Partners provided walking tours for Marquette students to learn about the neighborhoods. The CAMPus Impact student organization collaborated with area nonprofit organizations and provided opportunities for students to engage with residents.
The Rev-Up MKE business plan competition was once again successful, prompting the Milwaukee Business Journal to interview Kelsey Otero, Marquette’s associate director of Social Innovation, about rolling out a toolkit so other cities and companies can replicate our model. This is one of the many ways that the PARC program creates economic opportunities for residents in Milwaukee’s Near West Side.
Cultivating the next generation of peacemakers
In January, another group of students participated in the winter break course in Delhi and Guwahati, India on interreligious peacemaking and nonviolence.
Peace Studies continues to be one of the fastest growing programs at Marquette and some students revived a peace studies student organization. The students meet every month to discuss contemporary social justice issues. One of their most popular activities was a clothing drive and educational campaign about textile waste.
This year, the Center awarded ten summer fellowships for students to engage in peacemaking projects outside of the classroom. They explored the power of nonviolence through internships, delegations, research, and self-designed projects. The topics students addressed ranged from environmental and economic justice to amplifying immigrant voices to teaching youth to resolve conflicts.
The team of undergraduate students who work on the Center’s various projects and initiatives also continues to grow. Some of our favorite days in the office are our student employee orientations and nonviolence reading reflections.
Distinguished peacemakers visit Marquette
2019 was another banner year for speakers. In addition to making a public presentation, each of our speakers deliver guest lectures in several classes. This ensures that students have the opportunity to directly engage with leaders and experts in their fields who are working for the promotion of peace and justice.
Fr. Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit priest and human rights activist, was the Ignatian Peacemaking Lecturer. While on campus, he shared insights from his decades of experience working nonviolently for peace and justice.
Rabia Terri Harris, founder of the Muslim Peace Fellowship and co-founder of the Community of Living Traditions at the Stony Point Center, was the 2018–19 Peacemaker in Residence. She shared insights from her decades studying and practicing Islamic nonviolence and leading interfaith dialogue.
Rev. Séamus Finn, OMI, of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, was the keynote at Marquette’s first Socially Responsible Investing symposium. Allen Ottaro, founder and executive director of the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA) presented on Ignatian Spirituality and environmental action. And our 2019–20 Peacemaker in Residence was a shared appointment between two representatives of Nonviolent Peaceforce: Tiffany Easthom, executive director, and Jan Passion, former deputy director.
Peace Works
The Peace Works program in Milwaukee’s public and Catholic schools continues to gain momentum. We saw many successes in student outcomes through teaching youth skills in conflict resolution and peacemaking in three Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Behavioral Reassignment schools, one MPS elementary school, and five Catholic grade schools. In addition, we have implemented a Peer Mediation program in two of our partner schools for students to assume leadership roles.
While this year did mark the conclusion of our three-year partnership at the MPS Behavioral Reassignment (BR) locations, we embarked on a new partnership with MPS. We welcomed four new staff members to the Peace Works team to focus on restorative practices and therapeutic services at the MPS Success Center.
Peace Works received a grant from the Congregation of St. Joseph to expand the Family Focus program in Milwaukee Catholic schools. The Family Focus program is designed for families and schools to build strong, healthy communities.
Peacemaking as a professional pursuit
The Center officially launched the Making a Living, Making a Difference guide this year. This book and program provide guidance to students and young adults interested in pursuing careers in peacemaking.
Many of our graduates have jumped right into working for peace, including Brian with Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Chiana through nursing, and Audrey in Egypt.
Academic Prestige
Working closely with Dr. Jessica Wolfendale and the Philosophy Department, we hosted a conference at Marquette on ‘The Trauma of Torture’. The gathering recognized the 30th anniversary of the UCA Martyrs, examined solitary confinement practices in Wisconsin, and explored legal consequences of detention and torture at Guantanamo Bay.
We also had our largest group of presenters at the Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies’ annual conference and six research projects represented at the inaugural Arts & Sciences research fair.
Past faculty recipients of Rynne Research Fellowships presented on their projects at a Soup with Substance luncheon. Each of the faculty expressed their gratitude and noted that the Rynne Fellowships are one of few funding sources available for exploratory research on nonviolence.
Dr. Noelle Brigden conducted research on human security and migration in San Salvador, El Salvador. The fellowship has supported her forthcoming book and the creation of a course called ‘The Politics of Street Gangs’. Dr. Jessica Rich published a book that examines the conditions under which social movements can endure and work with state institutions to advance their policy goals through studying the interaction between AIDS activists and bureaucrats in Brazil.
Dr. Ryan Duns, S.J. received this year’s Peace Studies course development grant to explore an intersectional approach to the analysis of conflict and inequality. Meanwhile, the first course development grant recipient, Dr. Jesse Cheng, has received rave reviews for his class on empathy.
Looking forward to 2020!
Looking back at all of these accomplishments, I’m so proud of the community we have built and the impact of this work. This year sure passed by quickly — almost as fast an office time lapse.
As the decade comes to a close, the Center for Peacemaking wishes everyone a blessed new year, and is looking forward to continue promoting nonviolent peacemaking in the new decade and beyond!
