Students Find Inspiration at Catholic Peacebuilding Network Conference

By Denise T. Ward
USD

April 25, 2008

When the University of San Diego was introduced during the Catholic Peacebuilding Network’s annual conference at the University of Notre Dame, an obvious element stood out, or rather up, from the crowd. It was the presence of Kate Gordon, Emmanuel Orozco and Laura Wells.

The three were nominated by faculty and staff to take part in the three-day Conference on the Future of Catholic Peacebuilding. They stood side-by-side with Father Bill Headley, dean of the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, Laura Taylor, program officer at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice at the school, and Cristina Grisham, resident minister with University Ministry. Their attendance and involvement at the conference showed an understanding that youth should have a place in the practice of peacebuilding, according to Grisham.

“We run an interfaith Residential Learning Community, and it was great for our students to be able to see what we’ve been talking about in a different context at the conference,” she said. “Our students were the only (undergraduate) students that were a part of this conference the whole way through.”

The students met before the conference for a pre-reflection to prepare, they conversed during the conference to discuss what they witnessed, and they will take part in a post-event analysis to determine how to implement these principles in their daily lives.

“What essentially this models is the thought of scholarship, participation, acting and witnessing at the conference, and now action coming back,” Taylor said. “Those stages are things that Catholic peacebuilding offers to the dialogue and was modeled with the students. That’s extremely exciting to witness as a practitioner how these kids are now positioned to make a difference at USD over the next three to four years.”

The USD delegation represented a cross-section of academic disciplines, age groups and experience levels. More than 250 people from 30 countries attended the conference. The goal of the conference was to connect the theological, ethical and practical dimensions of the Catholic church’s role in conflict prevention, conflict management and post-conflict reconciliation. It served as the final part of a multi-year book project on that connection.

Dean Headley, who has attended each of the previous conferences in his role with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), said it was a time for all parties to reflect on peacebuilding, many for the first time. This year, however, he attended wearing a different hat. He now speaks from an academic point of view.

“I can be a bridging person,” he said. “I sat at the table with equal weight of all of the scholars there, and I was welcomed at the CRS table. That’s a unique quality of the school that I would like to preserve. In some ways, I’m a microcosm of our school because we have what we hope will be an ever stronger master’s degree program and that will be a stepping stone to a doctoral program. On the same token, we reach out and embrace practical peacebuilding efforts through our two institutes.”

Following the conference, each student provided their thoughts on attending the conference.

Gordon, Class of 2010, said, “Attending the Catholic Peacebuilding Conference was a very special experience. I learned about the current Catholic peacebuilding efforts in many different conflict ridden areas of the world. I heard bishops speak from Northern Uganda, Burundi, Colombia, Nigeria, and Mindanao. They each gave their insight on effective methods of ending violence and sustaining peace and it was so eye opening to hear their thoughts. I also had the chance to talk to Catholic Relief Service workers from different regions in Africa, and I left each conversation more and more inspired to travel to these places and get a first hand perspective of the CRS workers’ experiences.”

Orozco, also of the Class of 2010, added, “The CPN conference was an incredibly invigorating experience. Having the opportunity to be a part of the USD student delegation and to listen to many remarkable people on issues like solidarity, interreligious dialogue, and reconciliation was a privilege. I was able to listen to many personal accounts of people who spend their lives out working for social justice. Listening to them re-tell stories of their experiences in places like Burundi and Uganda and not get inspired is almost unimaginable. Coming back from this conference I have grown in knowledge and determination to share what I have learned with the USD community. I feel that we often think there is not much we can do as individuals, but if there is one thing that I learned from the conference is that one’s personal attitude can make all the difference in the world.”

Said Wells, Class of 2011, “Overall, the conference was amazing. Hearing the work of the American scholars and also the many stories of those from Africa was incredible and a very invaluable inexperience for someone my age. Also, upon returning, I have realized two parts that I consider ‘the best.’ First, the dinner at which we sat with the gentlemen from Africa and also Todd Whitmore, and we were able to hear about their many stories (and also learn about the simple things like the official language of Uganda). Second, but an equal favorite, was the Mass for peace on Monday that was conducted by Bishop Castro from Colombia, and there were also many other bishops present. That was truly an incredible Mass in a beautiful church.”

Original article