Peace and Justice Studies Association
Encyclopedia
The Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) is a non-profit organization
headquartered at Prescott College
and based in Prescott, Arizona
; its current Executive Director is Randall Amster
. It was formed in 2001 as a result of a merger of the Consortium on Peace Research, Education and Development (COPRED) and the Peace Studies Association (PSA). Both organizations provided leadership in the broadly defined fields of peace
, conflict
and justice
studies.
The PJSA is dedicated to bringing together academics, K-12
teachers and grassroots
activists to explore alternatives to violence
and to share visions and strategies for peacebuilding, social justice
, and social change. It also serves as a professional association for scholars in the field of peace and conflict resolution
studies. It is the North American regional affiliate of the International Peace Research Association
(IPRA).
for peace and justice writings. The organization has members from around the world, with a preponderance from the United States
and Canada
. The PJSA hosts an annual conference focusing on issues pertinent to the association's mission and values, including the following themes and locations since the inception of the PJSA in 2001:
October 2002: “Confronting Injustice, Ending War: The Role of Peace Educators and Activists After 9/11,” at Georgetown University
(Washington
, D.C.)
October 2003: “Fostering Alternatives to Violence,” at Evergreen State College (Olympia
, WA)
October 2004: “The Challenge of Globalization: Incorporating Peace, Justice and Human Rights,” at the University of San Francisco
(San Francisco, CA)
October 2005: “In Solidarity: Engaging Empire in Activism, Education and Community Strategies,” at Goshen College
(Goshen
, IN)
October 2006: “Who Speaks for the Common Good?” at Manhattan College
(Bronx
, NY)
September 2007: “Cultural Identity in a Mass Culture World,” at Elizabethtown College
(Elizabethtown
, PA)
September 2008: “Building Cultures of Peace,” at Portland State University
(Portland
, OR)
October 2009: “Exploring the Power of Nonviolence,” at Marquette University
(Milwaukee, WI)
October 2010: “Building Bridges, Crossing Borders: Gender, Identity, and Security in the Search for Peace,” at Menno Simons College
and the Global College
(Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
)
October 2011: "A Living Movement: Toward a World of Peace, Solidarity, and Justice," at Christian Brothers University
(Memphis, TN; in partnership with the Gandhi-King Conference)
(BCA), the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA), and the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College
. The PJSA also works closely with the media organization PeaceVoice, which facilitates the publication of articles and essays by peace professionals.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
headquartered at Prescott College
Prescott College
Prescott College is a private liberal arts college in Prescott, Arizona, founded in 1966. It is a non-profit organization which has an undergraduate body of roughly 800 students, and an average student to faculty ratio of 7:1 in on-campus classrooms...
and based in Prescott, Arizona
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
; its current Executive Director is Randall Amster
Randall Amster
Randall Amster is an author, activist, and educator in areas including peace, ecology, homelessness, and anarchism. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1966, Amster has worked as an attorney, judicial clerk, professor, and academic administrator during his professional career...
. It was formed in 2001 as a result of a merger of the Consortium on Peace Research, Education and Development (COPRED) and the Peace Studies Association (PSA). Both organizations provided leadership in the broadly defined fields of peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
, conflict
Conflict resolution
Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...
and justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
studies.
The PJSA is dedicated to bringing together academics, K-12
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
teachers and grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
activists to explore alternatives to violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
and to share visions and strategies for peacebuilding, social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
, and social change. It also serves as a professional association for scholars in the field of peace and conflict resolution
Conflict resolution
Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of some social conflict. Often, committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively communicating information about their conflicting motives or ideologies to the rest...
studies. It is the North American regional affiliate of the International Peace Research Association
International Peace Research Association
International Peace Research Association is a peace research organization founded in 1964. It is member of the International Social Science Council.-History:...
(IPRA).
Mission
The PJSA works to create a just and peaceful world through:- The promotion of peace studies within universities, colleges and K-12 grade levels
- The forging of alliances among educators, students, activists, and other peace practitioners in order to enhance each other's work on peace, conflict and non-violence
- The creation and nurturing of alternatives to structures of inequality and injustice, war and violence through education, research and action.
Values
PJSA members share many of the following values and beliefs:- Active nonviolenceNonviolenceNonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
as a positive force for social changeSocial changeSocial change refers to an alteration in the social order of a society. It may refer to the notion of social progress or sociocultural evolution, the philosophical idea that society moves forward by dialectical or evolutionary means. It may refer to a paradigmatic change in the socio-economic... - Critical analysis of institutions and social structures
- Societal transformation toward justiceJusticeJustice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
- Equitable sharing of world resources
- Life-long education: community-based and service learning
- Innovative and effective pedagogyPedagogyPedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
- Liberatory use of technology and media research in support of community needs
- Effective networks and alliances
Resources and conferences
In addition to other professional services, the PJSA publishes a regular newsletter, The Peace Chronicle, maintains a member network and listserv, publishes the Global Directory of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Programs, offers a Speakers' Bureau of experts in the field, and hosts a blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
for peace and justice writings. The organization has members from around the world, with a preponderance from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The PJSA hosts an annual conference focusing on issues pertinent to the association's mission and values, including the following themes and locations since the inception of the PJSA in 2001:
October 2002: “Confronting Injustice, Ending War: The Role of Peace Educators and Activists After 9/11,” at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
(Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, D.C.)
October 2003: “Fostering Alternatives to Violence,” at Evergreen State College (Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, WA)
October 2004: “The Challenge of Globalization: Incorporating Peace, Justice and Human Rights,” at the University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
(San Francisco, CA)
October 2005: “In Solidarity: Engaging Empire in Activism, Education and Community Strategies,” at Goshen College
Goshen College
Goshen College, is a private Mennonite liberal arts college in Goshen, Indiana, USA with an enrollment of around 1,000 students. The college is accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities...
(Goshen
Goshen, Indiana
Goshen is a city in and the county seat of Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. It is the smaller of the two principal cities of the Elkhart-Goshen Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn is part of the South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka Combined Statistical Area. It is located in the northern...
, IN)
October 2006: “Who Speaks for the Common Good?” at Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
(Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, NY)
September 2007: “Cultural Identity in a Mass Culture World,” at Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown College is a small comprehensive college located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania in Lancaster County. The school was founded in 1899 by members of the Church of the Brethren...
(Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Elizabethtown is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Harrisburg. Small factories existed at the turn of the century when the population in 1900 was 1,861. There was a slight increase in the next decade, with 1,970 people living in Elizabethtown in 1910. As of the 2000 census,...
, PA)
September 2008: “Building Cultures of Peace,” at Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
(Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, OR)
October 2009: “Exploring the Power of Nonviolence,” at Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
(Milwaukee, WI)
October 2010: “Building Bridges, Crossing Borders: Gender, Identity, and Security in the Search for Peace,” at Menno Simons College
Menno Simons College
Menno Simons College is a Mennonite college in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is one of the three founding colleges of Canadian Mennonite University and is affiliated with the University of Winnipeg. MSC is located on the downtown campus of the University of Winnipeg.-History: The college is named...
and the Global College
Global College
Global College of Long Island University offers the only program in the world that integrates a series of yearlong cultural immersions into a progressive, four-year Bachelor of Arts degree...
(Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
)
October 2011: "A Living Movement: Toward a World of Peace, Solidarity, and Justice," at Christian Brothers University
Christian Brothers University
Christian Brothers University is the oldest collegiate degree-granting institution in the city of Memphis. The university is run by the Christian Brothers, a Roman Catholic religious order founded by St. John Baptist de la Salle, the patron saint of teachers...
(Memphis, TN; in partnership with the Gandhi-King Conference)
Partnerships
The PJSA has a number of partnership and affiliation agreements with organizations sharing its overarching mission and values. Included in these partnership arrangements are educational associations such as Brethren Colleges AbroadBrethren Colleges Abroad
Brethren Colleges Abroad is a fully accredited student exchange program affiliated with the Church of the Brethren. BCA offers opportunities to study abroad for a single semester or a full academic year...
(BCA), the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA), and the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College
Augsburg College
Augsburg College is a selective liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Augsburg was named for the Augsburg Confession, the document of Lutheran belief. The school was founded in 1869 in Marshall, Wisconsin as Augsburg Seminary and moved...
. The PJSA also works closely with the media organization PeaceVoice, which facilitates the publication of articles and essays by peace professionals.
External links
- http://www.peacejusticestudies.org
- http://www.pjsa.info
- http://www.ipraweb.org
- http://www.peacevoice.info
- http://www.bcanet.org
- http://www.hecua.org
- http://www.centerforglobaleducation.org
- http://www.prescott.edu