This year’s top news stories from EMU’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding mark leadership transitions, celebrate impactful work and connect us to the challenging issues of the day.
Here’s the top news stories from our general EMU news feed.
Also take a moment to enjoy our Top Photos of 2019, curated by photography and videography manager Macson McGuigan.
MOST READ: M.J. Sharp ‘05’s peace legacy lives on
M.J. Sharp ‘05, his sacrifice and legacy, was of high interest to readers this year. In March 2019, the UN armed group expert who was murdered in the Democratic Republic of Congo was memorialized during a hike up Kilimanjaro, which drew global attention and funding for a CJP scholarship.
A keen group of readers tweeted, encouraged, mourned, celebrated and gave generously in support.
The following articles drew a total of more than 6,000 reads:
- MJ Sharp ’05 honored with March memorial trek up Kilimanjaro
- Student-produced documentary about Michael J. Sharp ’05 to premiere at EMU
- Two Nobel laureates, Jane Fonda among honorary coaches for Michael J. Sharp memorial Kilimanjaro trekkers
- MJ Sharp scholarship recipient’s calling is ‘to raise a generation of young peacebuilders’
2. CJP’s 25th anniversary
In September, we published the first announcement related to CJP’s 25th anniversary celebrations. The article, a preview of the special 2019 TenTalks CJP edition at Homecoming and Family Weekend that had more than 750 views, included bios of John E. Sharp, father of slain UN armed groups expert M.J. Sharp ’05, Tammy Krause MA ‘99 and Darsheel Kaur MA ‘17. The event itself was standing room only.
Since then we’ve published a guest authors series and a podcast is forthcoming. Check out www.emu.edu/cjp/anniversary for more great reading and to learn more about the big celebration in June 2020.
3. Award winners
We love to share the good news when CJP community members are honored for their work. And our readers love to hear about them! Among our top reads, each with more than 500 views, were articles about
- Tecla Namachanja Wanjala MA ’03, the 2019 CJP Peacebuilder of the Year;
- Co-founder and first director John Paul Lederach, winner of the 2019 Niwano Peace Prize;
- and recognition as one of TIME’s ‘Top Eight Young Reformers Shaping the World’ for Gwendolyn Myers GC ‘14.
4. CJP’s leadership transition
Readers were intrigued by the April 2019 announcement of the new leadership of longtime professor and academic programs director Jayne Docherty. Daryl Byler, one of the center’s longest-tenured executive directors, left to take a new position with the D.C. Bar Association in Washington D.C. He had served in the role since 2013.
5. Annual graduation coverage
As in past “Top News” analytics, our annual graduation coverage always earns top ratings. This year, the stat was 500 views. Here’s the article, which also includes a photo album. Note that the main image featuring Caitlin Morneau sharing a smile with CJP practice coordinator Amy Knorr also made our “Top Photos” list.
Tell us your top news of 2019 in the comment box below! And happy new year!
