peace and justice initiative

PEACE AND JUSTICE INITIATIVE
2013 - 2014 Calendar of Events
Each of us has the capacity to transcend, to
participate more fully, to affect all others in a way
that contributes to peace, justice, truth, and
compassion.
We welcome you to our season of programming,
to engage in the transformation of our community
toward an increased understanding of our unity
and interdependence.
The Peace and Justice Initiative at Valencia College promotes peace and
justice for all. Our aim is to nurture an inclusive, caring and respectful
environment on campus and within our community--one where conflict
leads to growth and transformation, rather than violence or aggression.
The Initiative is guided by its mission:
All People, All Voices, All Matter: Making a difference by intentionally
engaging in practices and principles that explore, advocate, and honor the
dignity of self, others, and the earth.
For detailed descriptions of the events listed in this packet, visit
valenciacollege.edu/pji
valenciacollege.edu/pji
WELCOME BACK WEEK
David J. Smith is a recognized authority on
peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and international
education and how these fields intersect with
secondary and post-secondary education. At the U.S.
Institute of Peace his efforts resulted in the expansion
and development of peace and conflict approaches in
education, especially at the community college level.
He has nearly 25 years’ experience as a practicing
lawyer, family mediator, community mediator,
college and university professor, author, and
consultant. He has taught and consulted at all levels of higher education:
community college, undergraduate public/private/religious, and graduate.
In addition, he has worked extensively with secondary schools and
supported teachers in their classroom efforts.
Currently, he focuses on building capacity in education for promoting
peacebuilding objectives. He has worked with nearly 150 colleges and
universities around the U.S. He has given over 400 talks on peacebuilding,
conflict resolution, international education, and the work of the U.S.
Institute of Peace. David Smith has also been
interviewed by a range of media.
During his visit, Smith will be discussing his new
book, Peacebuilding in Community Colleges
available for purchase through the United States
Institute of Peace Press.
August 23rd: 11:30 am -1:30 pm
Advisory Council Meeting for Council members,
Leu Gardens with Guest Speaker David Smith,
formerly with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP)
August 23rd: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Peacebuilding in Community Colleges: A Conversation with David Smith
For Faculty and Staff, Dandelion Communitea Café,
618 N Thornton Ave., Orlando FL 32803
August 24th: 10:00 am -1:00 pm
Welcome Back Possibilities Gathering with guest facilitator David
Smith. For Faculty and Staff.
Contact peaceandjustice@valenciacollege.edu for details.
valenciacollege.edu/pji
September 6th-7th: Peace and Justice Ambassador Retreat
September 12th: 7:00-9:00 pm
Rwanda and Genocide: A Discussion with Professor Michael Savage
8-101, East Campus
Join us for an informative evening about Rwanda
and genocide with our professor of history and
genocide studies, Dr. Michael Savage.
Participants will hear stories of Savage’s time in
Rwanda during the genocide and view clips of the
James Nachtwey film, The War Photographer, in
order to enhance issues concerned with the causes
and effects of genocide and other atrocities. The
film highlights what we have encountered in the
past and what we are likely to encounter in the
future.
The evening promises to be a lively discussion/
event and will set the stage for Carl Wilkins’ visit to the college
September 18th and 19th.
September 13th: 6:00 pm, Free screening of Miss Representation
Room 225-226, Winter Park Campus
As we address human rights issues we
engage in a film series about women. PJI
will partner with the League of Women
Voters and the Global Peace Film Festival
for a screening of Miss Representation, the
award winning film that exposes how
mainstream media contributes to the
underrepresentation of women in positions
of power and influence in America. Look for future screenings of Half the
Sky and The Bonsai People later this semester.
A panel discussion will follow the film screening, including panelist
Dr. Stacey Johnson, East and Winter Park Campus President.
The event is a partnership of the League of Women Voters, the Global
Peace Film Festival and Valencia’s Peace and Justice Initiative.
valenciacollege.edu/pji
PEACE WEEK - September 18th -21st
The United Nations sanctioned International Peace Day is September 21st
of every year. The mission of Peace Day is to have at least one
harmonious, non-violent, cease-fire day in the whole world. Go to
www.peaceoneday.org for background on how International Peace Day
came into being and for more information on what you can do to help
accomplish a global change.
September 18th-19th: Carl Wilkens visits Valencia.
For information, please visit www.valenciacollege.edu/PJI
Carl Wilkens is the former head of the Adventist
Development and Relief Agency International
in Rwanda. In 1994, he was the only American
who chose to remain in the country after the
genocide began. His choice to stay and try to
help resulted in preventing the massacre of
hundreds of children over the course of the
genocide.
Wilkens was featured in Frontline’s "Ghosts of
Rwanda" and "The Few Who Stayed: Defying
Genocide," an American Radio Works
documentary which aired on National Public
Radio. His story reminds us of the profound
connection between history and the moral choices we face each day. It
also arms us with new insights in the fight against genocide along with
tools and inspiration for re-evaluating the relationships we are part of
every day.
Wilkens’ humanitarian work has been recognized with several awards
including the Dignitas Humana Award from Saint John’s School of
Theology Seminary and a 2005 Medal of Valor from the Simon
Wiesenthal Center
valenciacollege.edu/pji
September 18th
9:00 AM-11:45 am
Presentation: Why I Stayed in Rwanda During the 1994 Genocide
Osceola Campus, 1-101, All Are Welcome
2:30 PM-3:45 pm
Presentation: Enemies to Allies: Stories from the Rwandan Genocide
East Campus 3-113, All Are Welcome
September 19th
9:00 AM-11:45 am
Presentation: Rwanda 19 Years After the Genocide
Osceola Campus, 1-101, All Are Welcome
1:00 PM-2:15 pm,
Keynote Presentation:
Help Build a Peaceful World by Seeing the "Other" as Yourself
East Campus, Room 6-110, streamed live to WP Campus room 115
Reception to follow in the Atrium of Building 3, East Campus
Wilkens’ visit is supported by a grant from the United States Institute of
Peace and Shuffield Lowman Attorneys and Advisors
International Peace Day Celebrations
September 19th
11:00 -1:00 pm, Peace Day Festivities
Mall Area of East Campus
7:00 pm, Free screening of Take Me Home, a Global
Peace Film Festival selection, East Campus 8-101, West Campus Special
Events Center, Winter Park Campus 221. Check out the trailer .
September 20th
7:00 pm, Free screening of the Global Peace Film Festival selection
David, Room 225-226, Winter Park Campus. Check out the trailer .
valenciacollege.edu/pji
October 11th: 5:30 PM-8:00 pm
Valencia Night at the Islamic Society of Central Florida (ISCF)
1021 N. Goldenrod Rd., Orlando FL 32825
Would you like to learn more about Islam and
share a deeper understanding with our Muslim
neighbors? To encourage cross-cultural
awareness and interfaith understanding, please
join Valencia students, faculty and staff for a tour
of the mosque, a free Middle Eastern meal, and a
presentation about the fundamentals of Islam.
Please rsvp at
http://valencianight2013.eventbrite.com/
This event is sponsored by the Islamic Society of Central Florida, the
Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Peace and Justice Initiative.
October 24th-25th: Peggy McIntosh visits Valencia.
For a detailed schedule, visit www.valenciacollege.edu/PJI
Peggy McIntosh, Ph.D.,
associate director of the
Wellesley Centers for
Women, is also the
founder, of the National
SEED Project on Inclusive
Curriculum
(Seeking
Educational Equity &
Diversity). The SEED
Project helps teachers
create their own year-long,
school-based seminars on making school climates, K-12 curricula, and
teaching methods more gender fair and multi-culturally equitable. Dr.
McIntosh currently leads the expansion of the SEED Project, with funding
from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
McIntosh directs the Gender, Race, and Inclusive Education Project,
which provides workshops on privilege systems, feelings of fraudulence,
and diversifying workplaces, curricula, and teaching methods. Dr.
McIntosh has taught English, American Studies, and Women's Studies at
the Brearley School, Harvard University, Trinity College (Washington,
D.C.), Durham University (England), and Wellesley College. She is covalenciacollege.edu/pji
founder of the Rocky Mountain Women's Institute, and has been
consulting editor to Sage: A Scholarly Journal on Black Women. In 19931994, she consulted with women on 22 Asian campuses on the
development of Women's Studies and programs to bring materials from
Women's Studies into the main curriculum. In
addition to having two honorary degrees, she is a
recipient of the Klingenstein Award for
Distinguished Educational Leadership from
Columbia Teachers College. She earned her
doctorate degree from Harvard University.
Visit the SEED website for project information.
October 24th: 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Student Workshop, 5-112, East Campus
October 25th: 8:30 -11:00 am
Faculty and Staff Roundtable:
Looking at Privilege: Creating Equitable Campuses
Special Events Center, West Campus
October 25th: 1:00 PM-5:00 pm
Faculty Workshop
Special Events Center (SEC), West Campus
Peggy McIntosh’s visit is supported by the Valencia Foundation, The
Peace and Justice Initiative and the Tupperware Corporation Chair in
Community Quality awarded to Professor Michele Lima.
October 26th: 10:00 am -12:00 pm, Fall Fest, a bi-annual
service project at the Coalition for the Homeless
Join clubs and groups across multiple campuses as we come
together to bring a day of fun and fall festivities to the
children and families in residency at the Coalition.
Participants serve by organizing crafts, games, food, and
activities for all. Contact the Peace and Justice Office to find
out how to participate.
valenciacollege.edu/pji
October 26th: 5:30-9:00 pm, A Celebration of the United Nations
The Valencia Model UN group joins the Orlando United Nations
Association and the Peace and Justice Initiative to celebrate the United
Nations and its work for peace and justice. Join us for an interactive
evening of food and discussion.
For details visit http://www.una-orlando.org/
November 5th-7th: Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury visits Valencia.
Mr. Anwarul Karim Chowdhury
was appointed in March 2002 by the
Secretary-General of the United
Nations as Under-Secretary-General
and High Representative for the Least
Developed Countries, Landlocked
Developing Countries and Small
Island Developing States. In
December 2003, Mr. Chowdhury was
designated as the Secretary-General
of the International Meeting for the
ten-year review of the Barbados
Programme of Action for the
Sustainable Development of the
Small Island Developing States held
in Mauritius from 10-14 January
2005. Mr. Chowdhury was also
designated the Secretary-General of
the International Ministerial
Conference of Landlocked and
Transit Developing Countries and the Donor Community on Transit
Transport Cooperation held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 28-29 August 2003.
He wrote the "Culture of Peace" proposal that was adopted by the UN
General Assembly and, when he was President of the Security Council (as
the representative from Bangladesh), he raised the need to combat
violence against women. While it was vetoed in the Security Council (by
the United States), it enabled him to introduce it to the full General
Assembly and was passed as Resolution 1325, a landmark piece of
international legislation.
valenciacollege.edu/pji
During his tenure as Permanent Representative, Mr. Chowdhury served as
President of the Security Council, President of the United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF), Executive Board and Vice-President of the
Economic and Social Council of the UN in 1997 and 1998. He had served
for more than 10 years, as the Coordinator for the Least Developed
Countries in New York.
Ambassador Chowdhury’s schedule to be announced.
Topics of his visit to include the United Nations, microfinance in
Bangladesh with a screening of The Bonsai People, and creating a
“Culture of Peace.”
Ambassador Chowdhury’s visit is supported by the Study Abroad Global
Experiences (SAGE) office, the Valencia Foundation and the
Dr. P. Phillips Foundation Chair in Free Enterprise awarded to
Professor Edie Gaythwaite.
November 11th: 8:30 am - 9:45 am
Peace Breakfast: An Interfaith Gathering
Atrium of Building 3, East Campus
valenciacollege.edu/pji
November 15th: 6:00 pm – Social, 6:30-9:00 pm – Film, panel, discussion
A Place at the Table film screening, East Campus, room TBA,
in partnership with the Early Learning Coalition of Orange County
December 5th: 1:00-2:15 pm
Potlatch: Peace Day Give-away
Mall Area, East Campus
Upcoming Spring Semester Events
January 14th, 16th, and 21st: 1:00 -2:00 pm
Conversation on Justice Reading Circles
8-105D, East Campus
January 27th-30th: Week-long Conversation on Justice
January 27th – Kick-off event, Mall Area, East Campus
January 27th-30th – Workshops
January 30th – 7:00 pm
Free screening of the Global Peace Film Festival
8-101, East, West and Osceola Campuses
valenciacollege.edu/pji
February 14th-15th: Faculty and Staff Retreat, the Cottage at Lake Lily
All faculty and staff are invited to this two-day retreat for a time of
reflection, mindfulness, renewal and deepening of our understanding of
the Principles for How We Treat each Other. Elaine Sullivan from the
Center for Renewal and Wholeness in Higher Education facilitates the
retreat.
February 21st-22nd: Peace and Justice Ambassador Retreat
March 24th: 8:30 -9:45 am, Peace Breakfast: An Interfaith Gathering
3-113, East Campus
March 29th: 10:00 am-12:00 pm, Spring Fling, our bi-annual service
project at the Coalition for the Homeless
Party for the children and families in residence at the Coalition
April 3rd: Earth Day Celebration, Mall Area, East Campus
April 4th: Valencia Night for Interfaith Understanding
Want to follow the Peace and Justice Initiative more closely?
“Like” us on Facebook to get updates on news and announcements,
events, pictures, and interesting information about our 13 Principles
for How We Treat Each Other!
www.facebook.com/valenciapeaceandjustice
Thank you to everyone who contributes to the success of the
Peace and Justice Initiative. The Initiative would like to send
a special thanks to Student Development and donors who
contribute through the Valencia Foundation.
If you are interested in making a donation to the Peace and
Justice Initiative, please contact the Valencia Foundation at
http://www.valencia.org/.
valenciacollege.edu/pji
The Principles for How We Treat Each Other are our practice of
respect and nonviolence at Valencia College.
Posters of the Principles are now available. If you would like a
poster for your class or office please contact the Peace and Justice
Office. Printable versions of the Principles are also available online
at http://valenciacc.edu/PJI/principles.cfm
valenciacollege.edu/pji