Release date: Jan. 31, 2007
Contact: Elaine Justice at 404-727-0643 or elaine.justice@emory.edu

'Soul of Inter-religious Peacebuilding' Explored in Emory Lecture

WHO
Peace scholar/practitioner John Paul Lederach, professor of international peacebuilding at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame

WHAT
Public Lecture on "Soul of Interreligious Peacebuilding," part of Emory University's Initiative in Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding inaugural "Humanity at the Crossroads" lecture series

WHEN
4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007

WHERE
Jones Room, Woodruff Library, 540 Asbury Circle, Emory

PARKING
Fishburne Parking Deck, 1672 N. Decatur Rd., Emory

INFORMATION
Contact Tom Flores at 404-727-7394 or tvflore@emory.edu

John Paul Lederach is internationally known for his pioneering work on conflict transformation, which is reflected in two of his major publications, "Building Peace: Sustainable Reconciliation in Divided Societies" and "Preparing for Peace: Conflict Transformation across Cultures."

In his talk Feb. 6 at Emory, Lederach will draw upon his most recent book, "The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace," which represents his thinking and learning during the past several years. He will talk about how he has come to see peacebuilding as both a learned skill and a creative practice that requires staying close to the messiness of real processes and change while recognizing the serendipitous nature of the discoveries and insights that emerge along the way.

As a practitioner, Lederach has engaged in conciliation work and training in areas around the world. He has extensive experience in intercommunal and organizational conflict, with special expertise in conflicts involving interethnic, cross-cultural and religious issues. The founding director of the Conflict Transformation Program at Eastern Mennonite University, he has helped design numerous training programs in many countries.

The ethnic and religious violence that characterizes contemporary life calls for new ways of thinking and writing. As part of a university-wide initiative in Religion, Conflict, and Peacebuilding, Emory is holding a series of public lectures related to these themes. The series includes a distinguished lineup of scholar-practitioners, each of which has made significant contributions worldwide in the field of religion, conflict and peacebuilding.

Emory University is one of the nation's leading private research universities and a member of the Association of American Universities. Known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities, Emory is ranked as one of the country's top 20 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, the state's largest and most comprehensive health care system.

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