Peace Fellow Spotlight: Gloria Smith

What are some important updates in your current work?

The Black Star Project is a multifaceted initiative known for its actions with programs on education, culture, economic and workforce development, mentoring, tutoring and youth development, public policy and advocacy and violence prevention. Our programs encourage a holistic, intergenerational approach to community building.

Peace Fellows Gloria Smith (from left), Jeanette Coleman, coordinator Burrell Poe, Pamela Phoenix, Jacquelyn Moore and Robert Biekman pose for photo after meeting with Veterans for Peace.

Phillip Jackson, our founding director, passed away in November 2018. Phillip was a great inspiration to many and we have been challenged to determine how best to continue cultivating and sharing his wisdom with the world. While many of our supporters keep up with our work through the Black Star Project website and Facebook page, we also have a radio program on WVON on Saturdays at 6 p.m. and a periodic newsletter that is shared with a national and international audience.

Some of our recent projects include economic empowerment and non-profit management workshops, Saturday university academic programs, and Becoming Chicago’s Next CEO, a summer program for interns interested in learning investment skills. Most recently, we participated, along with our Young Black Men of Honor, in the Chicago Community Trust’s On the Table event by sending a letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot sharing their thoughts on addressing violence in the community.

Peace Fellows Gloria Smith (left) and Jacquelyn Moore practice Appreciative Inquiry during a workshop at Breakthrough Ministries.

As Phillip's sister, I along with my staff and a host of organizations and supporters remain very much engaged in “the good work” that Phillip left for us to do and to share with as wide a community as possible.

How has GATHER informed the work that you do? Have you made any meaningful connections between GATHER and your work?

“Gathering” is at the heart of our work at The Black Star Project. We know this: What has always strengthened and encouraged Black and Brown people is our histories of struggle, our creativity, our humanity in the face of trauma, our connection to elders and ancestors, and the love and encouragement we must pass along to our young people.

Peace Fellow Gloria Smith shares the Asset Map she created with her neighbors of the Bronzeville community.

We believe that we need to be together. To spend time with each other – in small gatherings and large, sharing the wisdoms we’ve learned from our experiences. Our programs share the resources of history, spirit and culture that have provided strength and renewal to people struggling for the expression of their humanity in Chicago and elsewhere in the world. This is work we’ve done since our founding in 1996, work we remain committed to, and work that is very similar to the peacemaking efforts of GATHER and the Goldin Institute.


Where Non Violence is Personal


The Chicago Peace Fellows recently met with a unique group of activists who are teaching non-violence techniques to gang members in the city’s toughest neighborhoods.

“My job is to stop the violence,” said Kenya Hardy, street outreach worker with the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago. “I do whatever I have to do, like a cousin, like a big brother they can look up to.”

Institute for Non Violence Chicago case manager Delano Macintyre shares strategies for engaging young people and connecting them to social services.

On some days, Kenya accompanies the young men he works with to court, but on others, he may help them get stable housing or even mediate a dispute with a girlfriend.

[quote]“I’m here to show them love and show them that violence ain’t the key.”-- Kenya Hardy[/quote]

The Peace Fellows met the staff of Institute for Nonviolence Chicago in their office in the Austin neighborhood on the far West Side on May 16, engaging in an intense conversation about which strategies are actually effective. Founded just three years old, teh Institute for Nonviolence Chicago operates in 3 of the city’s most violent neighborhoods, Austin, West Garfield Park and Back of the Yards, using an approach that takes into account the high levels of trauma in these communities and aims for restorative justice, rehabilitation over punishment and vengeance. Eighty percent of Nonviolence Chicago’s 20-person team is hired from these three neighborhoods.

Ashley Perkins (from left), Elena Casada, Artemmeo Williams, Kenya Hardy and Delano Macintyre share the many roles the staff play at the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago.

 

Each of the neighborhoods comes with distinct challenges, according to Tara Dabney, the group’s director of development and communications. Austin receives the greatest number of people released from incarceration – called ‘returning citizens’ – while Garfield Park includes a major interstate highway, which attracts open air sales of illegal drugs and prostitution, and Back of the Yards has a conflict between different gangs that has persisted for several generations. In Austin and Back of the Yards, Nonviolence Chicago has been able to negotiate truces that have greatly reduced the number of homicides and other acts of violence, building relationships with open-minded police commanders and officers. These neighborhoods and six others account for one-half of the homicides in Chicago, and the ultimate goal is to convince elected leaders to use government money for anti-violence efforts.

Chicago Peace Fellow Lisa Daniels shares her personal connection to the work of violence prevention.

 

[quote]“In every large city where they have seen a major reduction, they have seen a large investment of public dollars” Tara Dabney[/quote]

Staff member Artemmeo Williams spent nine years in prison and found there were few services available for returning citizens when he emerged. Williams relied on his family “to reintegrate into society and not go back into prison.” In his work for Nonviolence Chicago, he provides the full spectrum of support to other young men coming back to the Austin neighborhood, even interacting with the Illinois Department of Corrections before their release.

Development Director Tara Dabney (right) shares an overview of the broader strategy and key organizations addressing violence prevention in Chicago.

 

“Whatever they need to sustain life, we’re there for them,” Artemmeo explained.

Asked by Peace Fellow Sokoni Karanja whether he might provide training to a South Side community, Artemmeo responded with enthusiasm.

[quote]“We’ll go to Mars if we have to.” Artemmeo Williams[/quote]

In her work in the Back of the Yards, staff member Elena Casada provides assistance to survivors of violence, who do receive limited government assistance but lose support after several weeks. Elena accompanies families to funeral homes, guides them through compensation applications, and finds counseling as well as support groups. She works with the understanding that her relationship with these families will be long-term, as the waiting lists for trauma-informed counselors are currently one year long.

“Whatever it takes to help them find a new normal, we do,” Elena said.

Peace Fellow Frank Latin, founder and executive director of Westside Media Project, asked the staff of Nonviolence Chicago about the effects of criminal justice policy on communities, and how to stop criminal activity.

Chicago Peace Fellow Frank Latin (right) raises questions about the tension between leniency and accountability for young people arrested for gun charges.

 

Kenya Hardy answered that current policy makes it more likely that juvenile gang members will commit gun crimes, while many gang members actually prefer prison, because they receive stable housing and food as well as a modicum of security.

“The system is not working,” Kenya summed up. “Young men get comfortable and safe in prison. In jails, there’s a structure.”

Artemmeo added that in many cases, the young men involved in gangs wanted to get away from criminal activity, but had no resources to leave the gang structure.

“Our community is depleted of resources so we can’t do but run to the corner for a job,” Artemmeo said. “They’re not living. They’re surviving.”

Peace Fellow Maria Velazquez from the Telpochcalli Community Education Project noted that organizers at Nonviolence Chicago needed to be creative as well as flexible to respond to multiple needs and changing situations.

Chicago Peace Fellows Adi Lerner (from left), Maria Velazquez and Jacquelyn Moore discuss how they engage young people as peace builders in their neighborhoods.

 

Peace Fellow Johnny Payton, who has extensive experience doing anti-violence work himself in the Cabrini Green public housing development and other communities, underscored the importance of building alliances across communities.

[quote]“We’ve just got to be here ‘hood to ‘hood to help each other.” -- Johnny Payton[/quote]

Peace Fellow Lisa Daniels lost her own son to gun violence seven years ago in an incident in which he was both a perpetrator and a victim, and currently serves on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, where she is able to provide guidance and advice to try and stop other young men from killing or being killed.

Chicago Peace Fellow Lisa Daniels applauds the Institute for Nonviolence team for their efforts to connect with young people on a personal level.

 

[quote]“There has to be a place where we connect on a human level. They ain’t trying to shoot. They ain’t trying to kill. They want love.” -- Lisa Daniels[/quote]

For both the Peace Fellows and the outreach staff at Nonviolence Chicago, anti-violence work is highly personal. Case Manager Delano Macintyre added that he has a record for possession of a firearm himself and that his own son currently receives services from Nonviolence Chicago.

“I’m happy to see kids doing good,” Delano said. “If we don’t go to work, my son is in trouble.”


UNSUNG HEROES: Becoming a Chicago Peace Fellow

The part of the South Shore community that I represent has a large number of multi-unit apartment buildings with a very transient population. The need for family services was explored by our late pastor, Dr. Ronald J. Behm, who instituted day care services at both the church and our community center. With the increase in violence, our outreach initiative I AM MY BROTHER’S KEEPER UNITY DAY, founded by the Rev. Bailey M. Gant, sought to address this issue believing we could “change the culture, stop the violence.”

In other words, if we provide safe, positive alternatives for our youth, they will have more of a chance to be productive members of society.

Chicago Peace Fellows Jamila Trimuel (from left), Dr. Pamela Phoenix and Jackie Coleman discuss violence as an adaptive challenge in meeting with the Violence Recovery Team at the University of Chicago Trauma Center.

 

[quote]Becoming a Chicago Peace Fellow is a timely, refreshing opportunity in that it has helped me to learn more about myself and my leadership style, validated my life’s work, and connected me with passionate community leaders throughout the city who are dedicated to providing a unified approach to understanding and promoting positive initiatives to combat violence. Our collaborative efforts will surely make a difference.[/quote]

The Chicago Peace Fellows share their personal learning styles using the Leadership Compass approach: Dr. Sokoni Karanja (from left), Dawn Hodges, Maria Velazquez, Jeanette Coleman, Velvian Boswell joined by John Zeigler of DePaul University's Egan Center.

As we take the time to connect with our community peace partners through neighborhood walks, I have particularly embraced the theory of Asset Based Community Development. This paradigm shift encourages us to consider the assets in our community rather than the deficits. I immediately was drawn to this concept and explored ideas of how I can approach community members, civic leaders and businesses as we work toward our unified goals of peacemaking.

Chicago Peace Fellows Dawn Hodges (from left), Robin Cline, Jeanette Coleman, Pamela Butts, Johnny Coleman, staff member Oz Ozburn, Executive Director Travis Rejman, Velvian Boswell, Jamila Trimuel, Coordinator Burrell Poe, Jacquelyn Moore and Gloria Smith participate in the CrimeLab presentation at the City Club of Chicago.

I very much enjoyed attending University of Chicago Crime Lab Executive Director Jens Ludwig’s presentation at the City Club of Chicago with other Peace Fellows. Ludwig cited crime statistics and inferred that a stronger, more positive relationship with the police department could make a difference. After that, I had the opportunity to engage in several conversations with policemen in my district, resulting in my agreement to be more active in CAPS meetings to address the concerns and present ideas of how we can build a stronger presence in our community.


Principles and Practices that Empower Shared Learning


On Wednesday, April 3, the Chicago Peace Fellows came together to build a list of principles and practices that will unlock shared learning and collaborationfor the group. This workshop was hosted by Peace Fellow Alex Levesque at his Automotive Mentor Group, where he trains young men and women to remodel classic cars. His program recruits youth at high risk of being involved with violence.

Chicago Peace Fellows Dr. Pamela Phoenix (left) and Jackie Moore join host Alex Levesque at the Automotive Mentoring Group.

Alex started the workshop with a tour of the facilities and details of his program, sharing how he helps young people find purpose through their work with cars. He told us about his triumphs in helping young people find gainful employment and some of his challenges with reaching young people and the barriers they face around employment, homelessness and violence in the community and at home.

Chicago Peace Fellow Alex Levesque (left) discussed principles for shared learning with Pastor Robert Biekman and Dr. Pamela Phoenix.

We started our conversation about the differences between best practices and best principles with Alex’s locker full of belts. He has a locker full of belts because it is a requirement that everyone has a belt on when working on the shop floor. He noted that many young people do not wear belts and that it would be a challenge to have to turn away a participant simply because they didn’t have the appropriate attire. Many of his participants come from different parts of town and have long and complex commutes. His best principle is safety first and a best practice that he developed was to have belts at the shop for anyone that needed one.

Chicago Peace Fellow Maria Velazqeuz (center) facilitates the conversation to uncover practices that enable shared learning with Fellows Dr. Sokoni Karanja, Jackie Moore and Gloria Smith.

After this conversation, we moved into a workshop where we sat in different groups and discussed what our best principles can be as a group. The group reflected on the course curriculum and reviewed the dozens of comments on the theme on the discussion board.

After a process of grouping comments into themes and prioritizing values that we can share and enact, the group refined the list to the following five core principles:

  • Communicate openly, inclusively, honestly and respectfully.
  • Promote compassion, harmony and peace.
  • Embrace mutual support and accountability.
  • Adopt an intergenerational and intersectional worldview.
  • Foster a growth mindset.

Chicago Peace Fellows Pamela Phoenix (left) and Jackie Moore compare notes about times where they have learned the most with peers.

The group will continue to grapple with these principles but they committed to adhering to these as a group in how they engage with each other, the curriculum and the communities in which we work. Often, what is shared between practitioners are best practices but we focus on best principles because the practices should fit the context, and principles encourage others to develop practices based on what’s best for them.

Chicago Peace Fellows Sokoni Karanja (left), Maria Velazquez, Gloria Smith, Pamela Phoenix, Jackie Moore, Burrell Poe (Coordinator) and Alex Levesque celebrate the successful workshop hosted at the Automotive Mentoring Group.


Philippines Update: International Peace Day

 

[quote]Peace-building is a contextual paradigm. Whatever we learn and experience enriches our knowledge .... although it gets said frequently and sometimes casually, attending the Kerala Peace conference reinforced to me that in our every day lives, our actions can promote the words: MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH."[/quote]

 

In celebration of the 2016 International Day of Peace, The Goldin Institute Philippines partnered with two universities where I teach Peace Education: Mindanao State University and Catabato City State Polytechnic College.

This year to coincide with Peace Day, I was privledged to further my trainings as a Peace Educator by attending weeklong celebrations and instructional workshops In Kerala, India. The primary event was sponsored by the United Religions (URI) Traveling Peace Initiative.

One of the early highlights while in India, was taking part in an environmental awareness project to revive a local dying river on September 21st. 

During the same day as the river revival project, we joined the children of a nearby community school to celebrate the importance of the day with students and their teachers. The theme for this year was especially relevant in response to the call to save the Earth's natural resources - ensuring that the needs of the next generation are not compromised.

It was my honor to share the story of the Goldin Institute Philippines Access to Clean Water Project and our other Peace Advocacy projects, during a presentation to the URI and participants of the Traveling Peace Academy. Representatives from eleven countries were in attendance. During my brief comments, I highlighted our strategy on building grassroots communities through partnerships with direct stakeholders.

My colleague Jane Usop Abdul and I brought a tarpaulin collage, representing all our projects and community building activities in partnership with the Mindanao State University.  Our representative collage, along with others, was showcased on a main display wall. It was well received by the participants and organizers. The feedback was especially positive to the activities initiated by the Goldin Institute Philippines in partnership with my Peace Education students from the Mindanao State University and Cotabato City State Polytechnic Collage. The tarpaulin’s images served as talking points to highlight the student beneficiaries from the rural schools we serve in flood and conflict-affected areas , as well as orphans of the war. 

I am excited to have been invited to join the URI and look forward to the exchange of ideas and strategies in the sector of peace advocacy. I am especially honored because the Initiative has an international presence and a well-respected reputation amongst those who work in the inner-religious field. 

Breakout Sessions at the Conference: 

During sessions on Religion, Conflict Resolution and Transformation, I was also able to share my knowledge, experiences and teachings as a Peace Educator in the context of the Philippines. I was able to relate strategies and ideas on interfaith dialogue, environmental protection and building grassroot communities which I learned from my participation to various events sponsored by the Goldin Institute. 

Peace-building is a contextual paradigm. Whatever we learn and experience enriches our knowledge. The URI - Traveling Peace-building Academy offers great opportunities and resources where different religions and cultures engage and journey together to find a common ground for a dialogue towards peace. Although it gets said frequently and sometimes casually, attending the Kerala Peace conference reinforced to me that with each day, our actions can promote the words: MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH.

The following photos were taken during the Peace conferences at Kerala. I would like to thank my friend and colleague Jane Usop Abdul for use of those photos taken by her and also the organizers at URI for permission to include them here.   

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[img path="images/kerala_india2016/ariel_overview_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/award_at_dinner_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/awards_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/eye_for_eye_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/featured_tarp_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/formal_award_ceremony_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/fuller_riverceremony_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/group_wVic_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/jane_susana_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/kids_simplepeace_message_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/matthew_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/no_nukes_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/pro_environment_shot_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/susana_flower_parade_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

[img path="images/kerala_india2016/susana_girl_peacesigns_corex.jpg"]Kerala, India Peace Conference[/img]

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Philippines Update: Summer 2016

Global Associate in the Philippines, Dr. Susana Anayatin recently sent updates on the implementation of ten restored or newly installed Jetmatic Water Pumps in the South Upi District, made possbile by our partnership with Susana and her team in Manguindanao. 

In July, Susana expressed the challenges and obstacles to hitting their target goals and bringing the pumps online, but after the national presidential election which took priority for several weeks in the spring, and waiting out inclement weather that often washes out roads to the access points, Susana and her team were able to finish final installation at several of the sites, and complete new installations at others that had long been waiting to bring fresh drinking water to their students.

 

[quote]Our Election is over and rain has started to fall. This would mean that we can now proceed with our pending engagement with the World Food Program (on their Hunger Alleviation Program) and monitor the pumps previously installed in the schools affected by the long dry season. We have intensified our advocacy on environmental protection over the past months."[/quote]

 

For August, Susana has updated the project with the newest number of water pumps issued and either completely installed, or underway. These are reflected in the municipality section below in bold, but it is important to point out that with these new 39 schools, an estimated 16,509 students can be counted as now having access to clean water in this latest phase of the project!

 

[quote]We have targeted 40 water pumps for this year and I think we can still add 10 more units based on available funds."[/quote]  

With Susana's help (and Google Maps), we have been able to pinpoint the South Upi schools completed during this period and you can view them at our interactive map here. In the coming weeks, Susana will confirm the actual numbers of students and population being served by each completed water well - look for the growing number totals at our main page banner! We also continue to add new photos to each school that has had an opening ceremony to mark their new well coming online.

map banner for story

In addition to South Upi, below is the August 2016 status update to all of the municipalities currently being planned for future well restoration projects: 

1. Buldon:

As per confirmation with the PTA, TIC and district supervisor of the West District, Buldon is ready for installation. The PTA started digging for the installation of the hand pump. Individual schools which will be serviced in Buldon are waiting for the scheduled release of the materials. For the East District, the district supervisor will be confirming if the schools already prepared the needed counterparts. Update per August 2016: Seven units installed, bringing the total to 1,007 students benefited by our efforts in Buldon.

2. Datu Saudi Uy Ampatuan:

As discussed with MPDC, final talks with the municipal and school administrators will be conducted and they have already extended invitations to the Institute and our volunteers to the handover ceremony. This will provide the opportunity for the Mayor to oversee the actual ceremony and allow for a photo opportunity of the actual installation in one or two schools. Schedules will be provided as they are confirmed. Update per August 2016: Nine units installed in Datu Saudi Uy Ampatuan bringing total of students benefited in this region to 5,565.

3. Matanog:

The mobilization of additional materials and installation costs still needs to be discussed with the Mayor and the barangay chairperson. Discussions with the MPDC have already been made and met with their approval.

4. South Upi:

Per feedback from the district supervisor, the schools within the district are digging for the installation and as mentioned earlier, materials have been fully released and the process is underway. We are still waiting for further feedback from our colleagues that have been deployed to South Upi for verification on the status of the installation. With South Upi and all the municipalities, we will be updating the status of progress as we enter the next stages. Update per August 2016: Ten units (8 installed, 2 currently underway) bringing students served in South Upi to 5,369. 

5. Talayan:

Update per August, 4 units (2 installed, 2 currently underway) bringing the number of students served in this municipality to 1,408.

6. Sultan Sa Barognis:

Update per August, 9 units (8 installed, one on-going) bringing the number of students served in Sultan to 3,160.

 

[quote]Today we officially mark the turning over of installed water pumps to ten schools in South Upi, Maguindanao. Our partners on the ground here are the UN World Food Programme, Local Government, the Department of Education and several community volunteers."[/quote]

 

Dr. Anayatin Reminds us of the ongoing Conflict in Maguindanao:

The South Upi District is home to one of the most diverse populations in Maguindanao. Christians, Muslims and an indigenous peoples tribe called the T'duray all makeup the overall population. But being diverse, also has brought conflict - the same conflict that has impacted the entire southern Philippines for four decades. We continue to monitor the ongoing struggle for peace in the country, especially because as Susana has pointed out with each new effort to restore clean drinking water to another school, violence in the region makes the task that much more difficult to do.

But there is new hope in the Philippines. The International Crisis Group just released a report stating that "the southern Philippines is potentially closer to peace than at any time in the four decades since the Muslim insurgents started fighting for independence, but the substantial progress over the past six years is also fragile." Susana concurs with much of the ICG Report:

 

[quote]With the advent of new leadership in the country, as usual we are optimistic that changes will take place. The Peace Process requires a wait and see attitude ... but the Peace Pact signed between the MNLF and MILF are good working starting points. What is important at this time is to uphold the ceasefire agreement between the insurgent groups and the government. New approaches and strategies to achieve a sustainable peace must be the road map ... people are already tired of this four decades-long armed conflict; the longest now in the the world."[/quote] 

 

It is worth reminding all those who follow our progress in Maguindanao, that the ongoing effort to bring clean water to the schools and communities of the province, would have been a lot more difficult without the power of social media - and the support made possible by you. The generosity by those who support us as we continue to share our stories of struggle and progress online, are the lifeblood to what we do. Please share our progress with your friends and colleagues - join us in our fight to solve the water crisis in Maguindanao! 

 

[slide] [img path="images/Looy_for_map.png"]Team members check newly restored well at Looy Elementary School[/img] [img path="images/gunsi2.png"]Ceremonial opening of new well at Gunsi Elementary School[/img] [img path="images/kuya_for_map.png"]Volunteers prepare new well for ceremonial opening at Cuya Elementary School[/img][img path="images/Datu_Abolais_Primary2forsite.jpeg"]Susana, right in red cap, at Datu Abolais opening with kids[/img][img path="images/Datu_Abolais_Primary_turnover.jpeg"]Fresh drinking water is flowing at Datu Abolais![/img][img path="images/august_update_water.jpeg"]Volunteers test one of the newest pumps on location[/img][/img][img path="images/donation_gunsiforsite.png"]A new pump is readied for use in Mindanao, 'Golden' = 'Goldin'![/img][/slide]


Partner and Peace Advocate in US

NPR's WorldView focuses on Fr. Leonel Narvaez 

We are excited to announce that our friend and colleague, Fr. Leonel will be making a live appearance on NPR's WorldView news program on Monday, April 13 at 12 p.m. central time. Fr. Leonel will speak about his work promoting forgiveness and reconciliation in his home country of Colombia, share insights about the ongoing formal peace negotiations between the FARC and the government of Colombia and the expansion of child soldier reintegration model to the Goldin Institute's partners in Uganda.

Those familiar with our work with Fr. Leonel know that he is highly regarded for his peace-building efforts around the globe through his work in Colombia with the Foundation for Reconciliation. He has dedicated his life to building peace in the understanding that "violence is the failure of dialogue." Amongst his many accolades, Leonel has been awarded the Great Cross of Civil Merit by the City of Bogota for his contribution to peace in the city. In Paris in 2007, he received the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education. In 2008, the Congress of the Republic of Colombia honored him with the Order of Democracy.

International awards aside, we know personally and professionally how Fr. Leonel has worked tirelessly through his efforts at the Foundation to inspire and train over 25,000 facilitators reaching countless beneficiaries around the world in new methods of peace and reconciliation. Fr. Leonel's powerful presentations and sermons have changed the face of reconciliation efforts across the globe and the ESPERE methodology has expanded from its modest beginnings in Colombia to 15 other countries, such as Uganda, where we work closely seeing the growth of this project.

Please join us by tuning in to Fr. Leonel's live interview on April 13 at 12:20 p.m. on National Public Radio. This link will be active for live listening from your computer or mobile during the stream of the show. 

GI partner Fr. Leonel Narvaez during an interview we conducted with him at his office in Colombia.


NPR Worldview Interview on Colombia Peace Process with Fr. Leonel Narvaez

Fr. Leonel on far right, along with Global Associate Lissette Mateus Roa on left, and advisory board members, Sebastian Mosman and Akif Irfan at a recent ESPERE training in Mexico City.

If you missed the opportunity to hear our friend and colleague Fr. Leonel Narvaez on the WorldView news program April 14, you can stream it now:

 

 

In this interview, Fr. Leonel speaks about the ongoing negotiations in Cuba that give promise to a proposed peace agreement for his country. He also puts into context the concepts of forgiveness and reconciliation and how they have been practiced through his leadership at the Foundation for Reconciliation in Colombia and around the world.  

About Fr. Leonel and his work in Latin America 

Those familiar with our work with Fr. Leonel know that he has dedicated his life to building peace in the understanding that "violence is the failure of dialogue." Amongst his many accolades, Leonel has been awarded the Great Cross of Civil Merit by the City of Bogota for his contribution to peace in the city. In Paris in 2007, he received the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education. In 2008, the Congress of the Republic of Colombia honored him with the Order of Democracy.

International awards aside, we know personally and professionally how Fr. Leonel has worked tirelessly through his efforts at the Foundation to inspire and train over 25,000 facilitators reaching countless beneficiaries around the world in new methods of peace and reconciliation. Fr. Leonel's powerful presentations and sermons have changed the face of reconciliation efforts across the globe and the ESPERE methodology has expanded from its modest beginnings in Colombia to 15 other countries, such as Uganda, where we work closely seeing the growth of this project.


Sworn Enemies Show Path to Peace

We like stories like this from Colombia that illustrate the power of reconciliation and forgiveness.

Hector Perea and Jhon Obando were once on opposite sides of the armed conflict between FARC and the government paramilitary. But in their personal journeys to escape the violence they grew up into, they found themselves working side-by-side at a Colombian timber company that is bringing former enemies together.

 

[quote]Forgiveness is accepting the past and seeing people not through what side of the war they were on but as civilians with rights," he said over the din of wood cutting machines at the factory outside Cali, Colombia's third city, a seven-hour drive west of the capital Bogota. All of us working together is an example that reconciliation is possible. Colombia needs to know it's possible if people are given an opportunity."[/quote]

- Hector Perea

 

An ex-fighter from the now defunct United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), works at a timber company on the outskirts of the Colombian city of Cali December 2, 2014. Photo Credit: Reuters/Jaime Saldarriaga

Those concepts—forgiveness and reconciliation—are the cornerstones for the ESPERE program being run by our Global Associate in Bogota, Lissette Mateus. You can read more about Lissette's recent expansion of the project here. Lissette's mentor and advisor on the project, Fr. Leonel Narvaez (and partner to the Institute) spoke recently on how the advancement of their curriculum is making an impact across Colombia to folks like Hector and Jhon.

 


Philippines Update: Adopt a School of Peace Summit

Children Living in Conflict-Torn Region Would Benefit Directly From Proposed "Peace School"

As part of her ongoing work in Mindanao, Global Associate Dr. Susana Salvador-Anayatin hosted the Adopt a School of Peace summit in Cotabato City, Philippines on Mar. 23, 2011. Community leaders are engaging government officials, teachers, members of the military, former child soldiers and grassroots groups to create an elementary School of Peace and peace-studies curriculum for children living amidst the ongoing conflict in Mindanao.

The participants of the Adopt a School of Peace conference gather for a group photo.

In attendance were sixteen key influence makers and concerned organizers from the communities they serve, including former child soldier and current Goldin Institute Advisor Khanappi K. Ayao who welcomed the participants and set the tone for the day with his introduction:

 

[quote] It is our hope that this meeting will yield a positive response to pursue the project, Adopt a School of Peace in order to facilitate the long-awaited peace and development in our Province."[/quote]

 

Naguib G. Sinarimbo, the Executive Secretary to the Office of the Regional Governor at ARMM addresses the conference.Also welcoming the attendees was Naguib G. Sinarimbo, the Executive Secretary and a direct representative for the Regional Governor of Mindanao (the Honorable Ansaruddin A. Adiong). He specifically thanked Dr. Anayatin and her work on behalf of the Goldin Institute for initiating the project, reminding the participants that "more than any other region in the Philippines, the (Mindanao) Province is an area most in need for all forms of assistance. Any undertaking that will support the regional government in attaining peace is welcome."


The School of Peace project has six specific objectives that would form the cornerstone for the proposed school:

  • To develop modules for children in public and private schools in Mindanao that would promote non-discrimination; respect for other's beliefs, opinions and cultural practices, and an appreciation of the plurality of cultures and ideas in Mindanao.
  • To teach children conflict resolution by teaching them with ways to work out differences and conflicts using peaceful means.
  • To integrate the modules into relevant and appropriate core academic subjects.
  • To develop and implement training courses for teachers to prepare them for using the modules in the classrooms.
  • To equip teachers and parents with the knowledge and skills that they can use to train fellow teachers and parents in using the peace modules.
  • To establish the mechanisms that will ensure the sustainability of the project.


Some background of the Province and the current atmosphere for conflict was summarized and gave reference to how the six objectives should be thought of when considering the overall approach to the Peace School plan:

In the context of Mindanao, Philippines, a tri-people land, differences in culture and ideology abound. There is a beauty in the differences if each would respect each other. But reality paints a different picture. A child may hear a slur about Christians or Muslim or Indigenous Peoples from his or her family. He or she may even be warned against relating to those different from them – warning their children that the others cannot be trusted. The teachers themselves, who also grew up hearing the same, sometimes reinforce those beliefs and fears in school.

But we believe that the school is still the primary venue to learn good values, morals, and positive life skills. These should be venues that would promote respect, acceptance, an an appreciation of the differences of beliefs, culture and opinions. These are venues where cooperation and constructive conflict resolution should be practiced and upheld.

It is in this light that we are proposing to adopt a School of Peace – elementary level, located at a nearby conflict-affected area in the Maguinanao Province in Mindanao, Philippines. Modules to be developed will guide teachers on how to discuss the concepts of peace, human rights and conflict resolution in their classrooms. The main part of the Modules leads teachers to explore and reflect on the concepts and issues related to peace building.


Six topics to be introduced as essential to building a Culture of Peace:

  • Achieving Personal Peace
  • Dismantling Structural Violence
  • Respecting Human Rights
  • Looking to the past to find Peace Models
  • Selecting Peaceful Ways in Dealing with Conflict
  • Exploring the Relationship between Nature and Peace