Friday 2/10, 12:30-1:30, Amherst
Regional Peacebuilding through CONTACT South Asia -- lunchtime talk with Paula Green and Mariana Syrotiak at the Grace Episcopal Church Connector space, 14 Boltwood Ave., downtown Amherst. In December, Paula Green led a faculty team and 40 students from the South Asian region in the third annual CONTACT South Asia Program. Each December in Kathmandu, this program brings together participants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. In this intensive two-week program, participants have built sturdy and compassionate relationships across the borders of nationality, ethnicity, religion, caste, class, and culture, discovering their common ground and their mutual hope for a more just, prosperous, and peaceful region.
Paula will be speaking with Mariana Syrotiak, the Program Manager. Bring your own lunch if you wish; coffee and tea will be provided. For more information, call Karuna Center for Peacebuilding at (413) 256-3800 or visit karunacenter.org.
Friday 3/2, 12:30-1:30, Amherst
Building Nonviolence on the Home Front -- lunchtime talk with Frances Crowe at the Grace Episcopal Church Connector space, 14 Boltwood Ave., downtown Amherst. Frances will speak from her 50 years of astounding activism in Western Massachusetts that continues unabated in her 90s. Please come to honor and enjoy the presence and inspiration of this former Karuna Center Board member and indefatigable activist.
Bring your own lunch if you wish; coffee and tea will be provided. For more information, call Karuna Center for Peacebuilding at (413) 256-3800 or visit karunacenter.org.
Friday, 3/9 – Sunday, 3/11, Rowe
Dialogue: A Path Toward Civility and Community in a Divided Nation – weekend workshop with Paula Green and Adin Thayer at Rowe Camp and Conference Center (preregistration and payment required). This workshop will introduce dialogue skills that are easy to master and concepts that will support us in our relational and professional lives. The weekend will consist of small-group and large-group sessions where we will practice dialogues on issues current for each of us. When useful, Adin and Paula will offer examples of their work in the U.S., Bosnia, Rwanda, Nepal, the Middle East, and other regions with a history of protracted armed conflict between identity groups. Registration and more information is available at rowecenter.org/events.php?event=63
Friday 4/13, 12:30-1:30, Amherst
Sudanese Women's Leadership -- lunchtime talk with Paula Green at the Grace Episcopal Church Connector space, 14 Boltwood Ave., downtown Amherst. Paula will be just returning from her second trip to meet with Sudanese women leaders in partnership with the Institute for Inclusive Security, an NGO that promotes the inclusion of all stakeholders, particularly women, in peace processes. After the people of South Sudan voted for independence last July, this largest country of Africa became two separate nations, a result of peace talks that followed 20 years of civil war. Paula consults with the Institute on their program to build coalitions of North and South Sudanese women leaders working in political, academic, and civil society organizations to advance women's rights and participation.
Bring your own lunch if you wish; coffee and tea will be provided. For more information, call Karuna Center for Peacebuilding at (413) 256-3800 or visit karunacenter.org.
Friday 5/4, 12:30-1:30, Amherst
Promoting Reconciliation in Sri Lanka after 26 Years of War -- lunchtime talk with Olivia Stokes Dreier at the Grace Episcopal Church Connector space, 14 Boltwood Ave., downtown Amherst. Sri Lanka, lying just off the coast of southern India, has endured one of the more brutal wars of the last century, lasting 26 years and claiming 80-100,000 lives. The Sri Lankan government's military victory in May 2009 brought an end to the violence but left many challenges in its wake, as reports of civilians deaths and human rights abuses abound and the grievances of Tamil and Muslim minorities remain unmet. Karuna Center Executive Director Olivia Dreier will report on Karuna Center's programs with 80 Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Christian religious leaders to work together for reconciliation in one of the island's most conflict-affected regions.
Bring your own lunch if you wish; coffee and tea will be provided. For more information, call Karuna Center for Peacebuilding at (413) 256-3800 or visit karunacenter.org.