Peace of Mind Conference – Keynote Activity

Posted on January 27, 2024 | Leave a comment

On Saturday, January 27th I delivered the keynote activity at the annual conference for the organization, Peace of Mind. It was a real joy and privilege to spend a morning with all the attendees – amazing educators bringing peace education, mindfulness, and social justice work into their classrooms.

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Interview for 30 Years of Nonviolence International – Sharing History

Posted on February 8, 2020 | Leave a comment

In this clip I tell the story of my visit to the National Civil Rights Museum with my (then) four year old daughter. I discuss the experience of learning about and reflecting on difficult history with someone so young, and her reaction to it.

Click here to watch the full interview

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Interview for 30 Years of Nonviolence International – Exploring Abstract Concepts through Storytelling

Posted on February 7, 2020 | Leave a comment

In this clip, I talk about storytelling as a means of approaching teaching and building peace. I argue that using storytelling to teach something that seems abstract and theoretical can make the information more compelling and accessible. I talk about about helping people to tell their stories, and how to explore many different concepts through storytelling and connection.

Click here to watch the full interview.

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Posted in Education/Training, Presentations

Black Leadership in Advancing International Peace and Security

Posted on March 8, 2018 | Leave a comment

The following description is taking from the United States Institute of Peace:

“Black Leadership in Advancing International Peace and Security: How African Americans Have Impacted the Fields of Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding”

The formation of the United Nations. The crafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Responding to the Rwandan genocide. Advancing “cultural diplomacy” to thaw tensions during the Cold War. Defeating apartheid in South Africa. These are just a few of the transformative moments in history where Black voices were critically important.

As we bridge from African American History Month in February to Women’s History Month in March, USIP shines a light on the life and legacy of Black men and women who have advanced international peace and security. For generations African American men and women have been on the front lines of international conflict resolution efforts. While many of these contributions have been acknowledged, too many have been overlooked.

In conversation with Ambassador Edward Perkins and Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield – two of America’s most prominent and accomplished African American foreign policy professionals – we take a look back at the historic contributions of African Americans like Ralph Bunche, Edith Sampson, and Dizzy Gillespie and how the legacy of their work continues to influence the strategies and approaches in diplomacy, foreign policy, and international peacebuilding today.

We also take a look forward to how more African American men and women can pursue and thrive in the field of international conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

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Dialogue and Reconciliation in Nonviolent Action

Posted on January 19, 2018 | Leave a comment

Citizens around the world are using nonviolent action to push for social change. The recent anti-government protests in Iran are just one example, as are movements for peaceful and fair elections in Kenya and Honduras. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others refined and implemented these nonviolent strategies and tactics during the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, and they can be combined with peacebuilding approaches to transform violent conflict abroad.

To commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the U.S. Institute of Peace is hosting a series of expert panels on Facebook focused on this combination of peacebuilding and nonviolent action.

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Using Negotiation in Nonviolent Action

Posted on January 19, 2018 | Leave a comment

Citizens around the world are using nonviolent action to push for social change. The recent anti-government protests in Iran are just one example, as are movements for peaceful and fair elections in Kenya and Honduras. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others refined and implemented these nonviolent strategies and tactics during the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, and they can be combined with peacebuilding approaches to transform violent conflict abroad.

To commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the U.S. Institute of Peace is hosting a series of expert panels on Facebook focused on this combination of peacebuilding and nonviolent action.

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Applying Conflict Analysis to Nonviolent Action

Posted on January 17, 2018 | Leave a comment

The following description provided by the United States Institute of Peace, which hosted this virtual event.

Citizens around the world are using nonviolent action to push for social change. The recent anti-government protests in Iran are just one example, as are movements for peaceful and fair elections in Kenya and Honduras. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others refined and implemented these nonviolent strategies and tactics during the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, and they can be combined with peacebuilding approaches to transform violent conflict abroad.

To commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the U.S. Institute of Peace is hosting a series of expert panels on Facebook focused on this combination of peacebuilding and nonviolent action.

Continue reading →

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2017 Peace and Justice Studies Association Conference

Posted on October 30, 2017 | Leave a comment

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Always right to teach | A child about brave children | And their love power

From October 25 – 28, my daughter, Kaiya and I were in Birmingham, AL for the 2017 Peace and Justice Studies Association Conference.

This was the third peace and justice related conference she and I attended this year, and just as in the past, it was a special and remarkable experience.

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Youth and Religion: Potential Linchpins for Peace

Posted on August 1, 2017 | Leave a comment

Today I moderated a live streamed panel discussion, Youth and Religion: Potential Linchpins for Peace. The panel featured an outstanding lineup of youth and religion experts and leaders: Imrana Alhaji Buba, Founder of Youth Coalition Against Terrorism, USIP Generation Change Fellow, and Nigerian youth leader; Aubrey Cox, Senior Program Specialist on Youth at the U.S. Institute of Peace; and Melissa Nozell, Senior Program Specialist on Religion & Inclusive Societies at the U.S. Institute of Peace. The three of them authored the USIP Special Report, Implementing UNSCR 2250: Youth & Religious Actors Engaging for Peace.

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Media and Arts for Peace

Posted on May 25, 2017 | Leave a comment

On May 25th, my friend and colleague, Honey Al Sayed and I facilitated a launch event for the online course, Media and Arts for Peace, created by the United States Institute of Peace and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.. The event was held at the United States Institute of Peace and looked at how creativity, storytelling, and strategy help peacebuilders, civil society actors, social enterprises, and policymakers incorporate media and the arts into their work in ways that break cycles of violence and transform conflict.

We brought together an outstanding range of artists, musicians, international policy experts, and educators to perform, inspire, and tell their stories!

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