University of Nebraska–Lincoln programs are bringing to campus a week of events, April 12-16, focused on why violence and extremism happen, and what Nebraska communities can do to promote peace.
Events will feature peace activists from Israel and Palestine; a scholar whose work is at the cutting edge of research on American militancy; practitioners working to contain and de-escalate burgeoning conflicts; and students who have been affected by these issues. The week will end with an impactful name-reading vigil to commemorate those who have lost their lives to genocide and acts of hate.
The Forsythe Family Program on Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs and School of Global Integrative Studies have teamed up to curate these events. This work is supported by an Ignition Grant from Together We Remember, a grassroots truth and reconciliation organization that transforms remembrance of the past into a powerful movement for peace in the present.
Events include:
Reconciliation, Not Revenge: A Dialogue Meeting with the Parents Circle Families Forum | April 12, 10-11:30 a.m.
The Parents Circle Families Forum is a joint Israeli-Palestinian NGO founded by people who lost an immediate family member in the conflict. Its mission is to work towards the end of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, towards political agreement, and to spread their framework of conflict resolution to conflict-riven societies around the globe. In this dialogue meeting, two Parents Circle Families Forum members — one Israeli and one Palestinian — share their stories of bereavement and explain why they have chosen to walk a path of reconciliation rather than revenge. They then talk about their organization’s work around the world, and end the session with time for questions and answers. Register for this event.
Special Edition Dish It Up: Reverberations of Radicalization | April 13, noon to 1:30 p.m.
Dish It Up is a safe space for students, staff, and faculty to share their personal views and experiences, engage in discussion, and learn from others. This Special Edition Dish It Up will give students the change to talk about how radicalization, echo chambers, misinformation, conspiracy theories and extremist ideologies impact them. The conversation will be moderated byMax Mueller, a theorist and historian of race and religion in American history who has extensive experience moderating sensitive discussions. Register for this event
Research Colloquium with Dr. Kanisha Bond | April 14, noon to 1 p.m.
Kanisha Bond is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Binghamton University and a leading scholar of political mobilization and militancy in the United States. In this colloquium, she will speak about two complimentary, ongoing research projects: one on mobilization and militancy on the American left, and another on mobilization and militancy on the American right. Register for this event.
Global Café: Careers in Conflict Prevention with USAID | April 15, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Rob Horvath, Deputy Director of the Center for Conflict and Violence Prevention at USAID, will present on USAID’s work preventing conflict and violence around the globe. Horvath works on USAID’s dedicated team for technical and analytical expertise on peacebuilding, conflict, and violence prevention. In this role, he and his teammates respond to complex crises and opportunities to support countries on the road to self-reliance, and provide expert advice and services addressing conflict, communal violence, political transitions, stabilization, and extremism. This talk will allow students to learn about the work of this agency, as well as about career opportunities in the field of conflict prevention. Register for this event.
Together We Remember Virtual Vigil | April 16, 4-5:30 p.m.
There will be a virtual vigil to commemorate people who were murdered in genocides and acts of hate. They will use Together We Remember’s model of commemoration through name reading. Participants will sign up in advance to either attend the vigil or to read a person’s name, and deliver a few very brief remarks about that person. This event will honor the memories of those who lost their lives to extremist violence, and promote the goal of making our campus community a place where consciousness of the tragedies and injustices of our past inspire us to promote human rights for all people today. Register for this event.
Campus and community partners for the series include the Harris Center for Judaic Studies, Department of Political Science, Department of Sociology, Department of Communications Studies, Department of History, Office of Academic Success and Intercultural Services, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Global Strategies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Bosnian American Student Alliance, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Medical Students United with Neighbors Across America, and Lincoln Commission on Human Rights.
