Summer Peacebuilding Institute Archives

EMU community mourns death of professor who helped to shape the university’s peace and justice ethos

June 22, 2018Last updated June 22, 2018 by Lauren Jefferson

Ray Gingerich, a professor of theology and ethics who inspired generations of students to think in new ways about their callings and helped to shape Eastern Mennonite University’s strong ethos

Valley Friends and other organizations support Summer Peacebuilding Institute scholarships

June 20, 2018Last updated July 19, 2018 by Lauren Jefferson

For many peacebuilders attending Summer Peacebuilding Institute at Eastern Mennonite University, scholarships provide the necessary funds to travel and take courses. Since 2006, the Valley Friends meeting, a group of

An ‘eye-opening’ conversation: Veteran civil rights attorney and SPI participants gain new perspectives during campus visit

June 11, 2018Last updated June 13, 2018 by Lauren Jefferson

Civil rights attorney Ari Wilkenfeld has spent all of his professional life in the combative, confrontational world of litigation, where even settlements out of court are hard-fought battles. In a

At SPI’s Horizons of Change luncheon, a taste of Hollywood and the Pentagon’s mutual exploitation

May 22, 2018 by Christopher Clymer Kurtz

In the first of four Horizons of Change luncheons during the 2018 Summer Peacebuilding Institute at Eastern Mennonite University, screenwriter and author Tiffany FitzHenry traced the collaboration of the American

SPI Horizons luncheon speakers offer perspectives on peacebuilding, from Hollywood to the KKK

May 8, 2018Last updated June 11, 2018 by EMU communications

Once each session, the Summer Peacebuilding Institute community at Eastern Mennonite University gathers together for lunch and to hear from a guest speaker. Lunches are open to the community for a

Scholars from five Iraqi universities gather for CJP-led conflict analysis training

April 10, 2018Last updated April 11, 2018 by Lauren Jefferson

In early February, 20 scholars from five leading Iraqi universities and a representative from Iraq’s Ministry of Education gathered in Beirut, Lebanon, for a five-day training on conflict analysis. The

Center for Interfaith Engagement to host roundtable on Mennonite work in interfaith collaboration

March 12, 2018Last updated April 10, 2018 by Lauren Jefferson

As part of its year-long Centennial celebration, Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Interfaith Engagement will host a roundtable on interfaith collaboration. One focus of the discussion will be on how building

Drummers help SPI Community Day participants feel the beating heart of peace

February 16, 2018Last updated February 22, 2018 by Lauren Jefferson

Most participants in Timothy Seidel’s workshop were captivated by the humorous image. In one drawing, a huge fish chased a school of smaller fish. In the second, tables had turned:

Local and global practicum experiences prepare EMU’s next generation of peacebuilders

February 7, 2018Last updated February 9, 2018 by Christopher Clymer Kurtz

Writing an instructional manual about growing and using elderberries for medicinal syrups may not look like peacebuilding at first glance, but Eastern Mennonite University senior Ben Rush’s practicum last fall

Meeting new demands, SPI adds seven new courses and several 3-day trainings

February 5, 2018Last updated April 23, 2018 by Christopher Clymer Kurtz

Participation in marches and protests alone does not adequately address the complexities and shifting natures of national and societal challenges. It is a good first step to become interested in