Are We Institutionalizing Violence?
Our justice system has been described as a double-edged sword that represents one of the greatest threats to individual liberties, and yet the justice system also is considered the greatest protector of liberty. The system is often full of violence. How can we address the tragedy of those who are wrongly convicted, as well as the fate of victims and children? We seek solutions to these problems.
Bullying in Schools: From Columbine to Virginia Tech
What are the causes of bullying, and what is the impact on those who have been bullied? What strategies and methods might be used to prevent or peacefully resolve conflicts without resorting to violence? What groups need to be involved to address this crucial issue on campuses across the nation?
Conflict in International HIV/AIDS Relief
Over the past decade, the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa and other developing regions has elicited significant response from governments and non-governmental organizations. Humanitarian aid in the form of medical treatment and training, education and donations is offered by a variety of institutions and relief operations. The administration of this aid, however, often meets resistance as conflicts between governments, values and cultural mores are confronted. What are the most pressing issues in international HIV/AIDS relief?
Conflict Over Resources: Can We Sustain the Earth?
Much that we take for granted in our everyday lives is no longer abundantly available, from oil and gas to clean drinking water. We have seen violence used to protect some of these resources. What can we all do to keep this from happening again and again?
Confronting Violence Behind the School House Doors
The facade of American schools as safe havens for children has been cracked by recent acts of violence against students and teachers. These acts have drawn attention to the vulnerability of all schools and have created a climate of fear for students’ safety. The relevant question is: How do we protect our students and teachers when violence runs deep within our society? Can we identify the root causes of violence in society and address them before violent acts increase, sealing the doors of public education?
Dealing with the Effects of Violence and Trauma
Many people from all over the globe have survived great violence in the past 50 years. Wars have produced both physical and psychological wounds. Whether the person was a soldier or a civilian, whether he or she was a targeted victim of terror or just a person in the wrong place at the wrong time, all walked away with scars that are deep and which they will carry with them for their entire lives. How can we support such individuals? What can we learn from their stories?
Global Business and Conflict: Peacekeeper or Warmonger?
Some argue that commerce among nations can be an antidote to military conflict, a peace dividend. Economic integration makes war a far more “costly” option. Others suggest that business profits from war and conflict. Is business really the scoundrel that some suggest? Or might the benefits of globalization as a peacekeeper outweigh the costs?
Grass Roots Solutions
Media images of human suffering bring heartfelt anguish and feelings of frustration to people around the world. The hunger and poverty in much of the world are so great that good-minded people tend toward global “Marshall Plan” solutions that do not always provide the intended results and, in many cases, are not sustainable. How can grassroots solutions help us to solve some of the problems of poverty: hunger, sickness and lack of education?
How Do We Build a Culture Counter to the Culture of Violence?
The focus of this conference is Seeking Solutions. Now, at the end of the conference, we should think about what we, as concerned citizens, can do to make our world a place where conflict can lead to new and innovative solutions, rather than to violence. This panel is planned as a dialogue about how we can each make a contribution to lessen the violence and to deal productively with conflict in our world.
Is Violence a Part of Human Nature?
The Ten Commandments tell us “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” In fact, every culture has had to find ways to cope with violence. Legal remedies, social tools (as in shaming), and religious structures are all ways to control man’s desires and emotions. This panel will explore such concerns.
Peaceful Resolution of International Conflicts through the United Nations
Presidents Roosevelt and Truman and Prime Minister Churchill dreamt that the United Nations would be the forum for the world to peacefully resolve international conflicts. What are the reasons for the UN’s successes and failures in attempting to fulfill this dream? What changes might bring greater success in peacefully resolving conflicts?
Religion: Why Such Conflict and Violence?
If we look at the world today, we can see that religion has been, and continues to be, a divisive force in many disputes. From the battles of different sects within Islam, to the battles between Christians and members of the Islamic faith in Africa, to the United States with disputes between fundamentalists and more liberal Christians, we see conflict and violence. How can we deal with conflict before it becomes violent? How can we stop the violence?
Terrorism: Seeking Solutions
The first years of the 21st century have seen terrorist acts in all corners of the world. The United States is currently waging a “War on Terrorism,” but there is no end in sight. How does an individual, a group, or a nation contribute to the end of terrorism? How should these issues be framed? What cultural, religious, political and economic factors need to be addressed?
The Arts and Society: Addressing Conflict in the 21st Century
This panel examines how the arts can impact issues of conflict and violence both locally and globally. By expanding the concept of “the arts,” it becomes possible to integrate art as a means of finding solutions to violence and conflict. How do the arts influence social justice? What forms of art are best suited to a given situation? How can success be measured? These questions form the basis of analysis for this panel’s examination of the artistic community’s ability to seek solutions to conflict and violence.
The Complicity of Media: Causal Connections to Conflict?
Each day the various media that bring us news are faced with many challenges. Do they report the slayings in the Omaha shopping center and give the perpetrator his 15 minutes of fame? Do they put villainous acts of terror into the headlines thus helping the terrorists instill even more fear into the populace? Where should the line to be drawn between what we need to know, what we should know and what we might not need to know? Do such discussions limit the freedom of the press?
The Plight of Children
That the fate of our world rests in the hands of our children cannot be denied. As a society, are we treating children in such a way that they can and will help to make a less violent world? What are we doing right? How might we be more successful in finding solutions to problems such as child abuse, family violence and school violence?
The State of Public Discourse
Public discourse in American society has become increasingly contentious. How have the electronic media influenced public discourse? Are we able to use ideas of conflict resolution to help resolve disputes? How can we learn to discuss highly charged subjects such as religion and politics in such a way that people who hold different views can communicate?
Universal Human Rights: Chimera or Reality?
In December 2008, we will celebrate 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights issued by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The road to human rights has been long and winding. A good deal of violence has resulted from the abuse of the rights of individuals and groups. How far have we come, and how far do we still need to go to fulfill the promise of universal human rights? What challenges face us in the 21st century?
Victims of Violence: Authentic Voices
Each year, an estimated 2-4 million children, 4 million women and 1-2 million elders in the U.S. become victimized by violence and abuse, primarily perpetrated by family members. How can we hear the voices of these victims of abuse? How can we find solutions to help protect those who are most vulnerable?
Violence Against Women as a Weapon of War
The United Nations reports that well over 100,000 women have been victims of sexual violence in localized rebellions and wars in the last decade. This violence affects the lives of women across socio-economic levels from Africa and the Middle East to Asia and Latin America. This violence is an attempt to intimidate and control women, and thereby entire communities. What are the effects of this tragic practice, and how can we best respond to the survivors?
Violence and the Journalist
The World Association of Newspapers’ chief executive, Timothy Balding, recently reported that, “Journalism today is more dangerous than ever.” More than 500 journalists have been killed in the past decade, often for simply doing their jobs. What does this mean for democracies which rely on the freedom of the press to provide the information from which we, as educated persons, can draw conclusions and take action?
Why Remember? Public Memorials as a Response to Violence
Why do we erect public memorials in response to tragic events? Can public memorials help us learn from the past, prevent violence in the future, or reassert meaning in the face of senseless violence? The process of memorializing victims and honoring survivors must be a community effort. How does this process, as well as the memorials it produces, help a community heal from a tragedy? What solutions to violence might we find in the process of erecting and visiting public memorials?