[image 1]With San Antonio’s proximity to Mexico, and the escalating drug violence on the border, Northwest Vista College co-sponsored a Peace and Conflict Summer Workshop June 12 and 13 with funding by the U. S. Institute of Peace’s “Public Education for Peacebuilding Support initiative,” seeking to support American colleges in advancing international peace and conflict resolution.
[image 2]Northwest Vista College welcomed two internationally-recognized speakers from Northern Ireland to share stories of hope for peace and reconciliation, as well as other local and regional experts who taught students how to resolve conflict and become leaders. The workshop was an initiative of the NVC Peace and Conflict Studies program led by Carlos Lopez, and was held at Northwest Vista College and at St. Mary’s University, which also has a similar peace program led by Aaron Tyler.
[image 3]The first keynote speaker was Matthew Scrimgeour, born in Perth, Scotland, who is a professional peace practitioner and published poet. Scrimgeour works as a program coordinator and volunteer support worker for the Corrymeela Peace & Reconciliation Centre in his home of Ballycastle, Northern Ireland. The second keynote speaker, Aaron Gordon, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, works as the program coordinator at “Music Theater 4 Youth.” Gordon studied at the Belfast Royal Academy, and was a long-term volunteer at the Corrrymeela Center. The third keynote speaker was Brian Flannery, the DEA resident agent in charge of the border of San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico – the busiest land-border crossing in the world.
[image 4]The students in the workshop also heard from a wide range of speakers from our own NVC faculty including: Roopa Prasad, Kahala Crayton, Corina Gonzales-Stout, Luis Rangel-Ortiz and Brenya Twumasi. They covered diverse topics such as gender, culture, social justice, and Mexican immigrants escaping the drug cartel violence.
Thanks to the USIP support and everyone involved, the First Annual Peace and Conflict Summer Workshop was a great success. In closing, the USIP President, Jim Marshall, commented “USIP is pleased to support organizations like Northwest Vista College and their contribution to the national conversation around international conflict – and methods for resolving those conflicts nonviolently.”
By NVC Faculty Andrew Hill
Disclaimer: The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Institute of Peace.