ϲʿ | Peace Teach-In | Sessions

ϲʿ

Peace Teach-In

Through various art forms, narratives, and activities, participants in the 2024 Peace Teach-In will seek to tap the power of peaceful resistance and the human connections that sustain movements for change through embodied experience and transformation. Over the course of three days, presenters and facilitators will envision paths to dismantling injustice and new ways of being and relating to humanity and creation in order to cultivate justice through nonviolent action and right relationships.

Registration is NOT required EXCEPT for the 7th Annual Gros Memorial Event on Tuesday-Wednesday, October 22-23, 2024:

PART 1: "Shared Sorrow, Shared Hope: Bereaved Israelis and Palestinians Choose Peace"
(October 22)

PART 2: "Bridgebuilding as Risky Behavior: Transformative Encounters that Promote Collective Peace"
(October 23)



Sessions


 TUESDAY, OCT. 22

Note: All events are in the University Dining Room unless otherwise indicated. Arts & Ideas credit applies to all these events.

11AM-12:15PM

7TH ANNUAL GROS MEMORIAL EVENT

PART 1
Shared Sorrow, Shared Hope: Bereaved Israelis and Palestinians Choose Peace / The Parents Circle

Families Forum is a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization made up of more than 750 bereaved families. Their common bond is that they have lost a close family member to the conflict. But instead of choosing revenge, they have chosen a path of reconciliation. Join bereaved Israeli and Palestinian members of the Forum as they share their stories of loss and their unique choice to work toward reconciliation.


2-3:15PM
Creative Resistance: Designing Protest Posters and Discovering Protest Music / Kristin Callahan and Dr. Adrianne Honnold

Immerse yourself in the powerful impact of protest art and music. Learn about influential protest songs, create your own protest posters, and engage in meaningful discussions about social movements. By the end of the workshop, you will have gained knowledge about the historical and cultural significance of protest music and created artwork that amplifies your voice for change.

3:30-4:30PM [Sancta Alberta Chapel]
Tolton Peace Pole and Reconciliation Garden Dedication / Margaret Martinez and Dr. Christie Billups

Join us as we formally dedicate the Fr. Augustus Tolton Peace and Reconciliation Garden at the Sancta Alberta Chapel. Named in honor of Venerable Augustus Tolton, a former slave who would become one of the first black priests in the United States in the face of incredible prejudice within the Church and society. The garden features a Peace Pole that includes languages representative of the ϲʿ community and others with symbolic significance, including Odawa to honor the native peoples who once occupied campus land and Wolof, in tribute to Fr. Tolton’s African heritage.

7:30-9PM [Convocation Hall]
Riyad Nicolas: Syrian Piano Music / Performing Arts Series

Described as “Syria’s leading young pianist” by International Piano, Riyad Nicolas has already established himself as a leading pianist of his generation having performed for audiences around the globe. Join Mr. Nicolas in the St. Charles Borromeo Convocation Hall for a concert featuring piano music written by Syrian composer. Through his performance and music from his homeland, learn how Mr. Nicolas has been promoting peace and raising awareness for the
struggles and challenges of the Syrian people.


 WEDNESDAY, OCT. 23

Note: All events are in the University Dining Room unless otherwise indicated. Arts & Ideas credit applies to all these events.

10-10:50AM
“How Can I Help?” A Discussion on the Dynamic Between Individual and Collective Action in Social Movements / Dr. Morris Jenkins and Students

Join us for an enlightening discussion led by Dr. Morris Jenkins, as we delve into the intricate relationship between individual action and collective movements within the realm of social change. In this session, participants will have the opportunity to gain insights into the power dynamics at play when individuals take action within larger social contexts. We will examine the ripple effects of individual contributions and their transformative potential in driving collective action towards positive change.

11-11:50AM
Nonviolent Protest, Noncooperation, and Intervention: The Contributions of Gene Sharp / Dr. Laurette Liesen and Lili Martinez

This presentation will examine the vast array of methods used in nonviolent protests, noncooperation, and interventions that have been analyzed by Gene Sharp.

12-12:50PM
Listening as Activism: The Sonic Meditations of Pauline Oliveros / Dr. Adrianne Honnold

Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016) was a pioneering electronic composer and academic who devised a unique approach to music called “Deep Listening,” which focused on meditative and improvisatory aspects of music-making, hearing, and listening. The series of pieces, “Sonic Meditations”, invites participants regardless of musical experience to perform the works as a healing practice, or a “tuning of mind and body.” For this presentation, we will learn more about Oliveros and her career, and move on to impromptu performances of the “Sonic Meditations.”

1-1:50PM
We Won’t Pay: Resistance to War and US Militarism / Lincoln Rice and Bill Ruhaak

Nearly half of federal income taxes are directed to US militarism. In addition, the invasion of Gaza is largely funded by military foreign aid to Israel. This session explores refusing payment of federal income taxes as one way to refuse direct participation in US militarism. This session will be an introduction to the whys, hows, and potential consequences of war tax resistance, led by people who engage in this practice.

2-4PM
Unraveling the Web of Mis- and Disinformation: Navigating Towards Peace / Kelley Plass

This session will delve into how misinformation ignites conflicts, escalates tensions, and erodes trust between individuals, communities, and nations through divisive propaganda and manipulation of public opinion.

7-8:30PM [Convocation Hall]

7TH ANNUAL GROS MEMORIAL EVENT

PART 2
Bridgebuilding as Risky Behavior: Transformative Encounters that Promote Collective Peace

“Combatants for Peace” is a group of extraordinary Palestinians and Israelis who have chosen to work together to promote peace in Israel-Palestine. Join us for a viewing of the film “Disturbing the Peace,” which examines the transitions that many of the members of the group made from combatants to partners for peace. The film is told through compelling interviews with members of the group and demonstrates how recognizing the common humanity in one another is a key to peacebuilding. We will pause the film to allow for small group discussion and to consider how the general principles that the group embodies are applicable to conflicts in our own lives.


 THURSDAY, OCT. 24

Note: All events are in the University Dining Room unless otherwise indicated. Arts & Ideas credit applies to all these events.

9:30-10:45AM
Muslim Perspectives on Peace / Noya Tanseer, Orjuan Melhem, and Dr. Elizabeth Sartell

This session provides Muslim perspectives on the work towards justice and peace, rooted in the Qur’an and Islamic theology.

11AM-12:15PM
Discovering Peace Within / Vanessa Jankowski

Utilizing the lessons of the psyche taught by depth psychology, this presentation will examine previous successful movements. As conflict tends to have two opposing forces, C.G. Jung taught a transcendent third must be achieved to create lasting peace. Thorough an experiential, artistic creation, participants will learn from a practicing psychotherapist how to find the stabilizing transcendent third by identifying the two essential components of a conflict.

12:30-1:45PM [Black Box Theatre in Oremus Fine Arts Center]
Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed / Annie Calhoun

In this session, students will use the theatre methods of Boal to invite improvised story telling around areas of social concern in their audience. The audience contributes and voices how the story should be shaped by the players.

2-3:15PM
Power of Art / King Moosa

As an ‘impacted individual,’ Moosa will touch on his work of mobilizing through the arts, including poetry, rap, visual art, and storytelling, and discuss the power that comes from one’s ability to evoke emotion and ignite visions of a new world. Participants will leave knowing the capacity they possess as creatives.

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