Newsletters and Updates

Current Articles New Program Manager (June 2009) China Update (June 2009) Evans Honorary Doctorate (March 2009) Obama Recommendations (January 2009) Emerging China Program (January 2009) Little Rock Peace Network (January 2009) Tallberg Forum (October 2008) Seeking Peace in Colombia (October 2008) Papua Peace Update (July 2008) Evans Reflections on CTF (July 2008) Courant Plowshares Article (July 2008) Interfaith Dialogue Initiative (February 2008) Restorative Justice Work (February 2008)

Local Training Opportunities
Read below for more information on an upcoming South Africa educational event, Hartford Seminary Summer Course, and a full-day conflict transformation -workshop.
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South Africa: A Model of Reconciliation for the World
Thursday, May 3     --     7 p.m.

South Africa’s ongoing transition from apartheid to reconciliation created a model that has inspired the world. This is not the end of the story, however. South Africa continues to be a nation in transition, a nation whose leaders now struggle to respond justly to ongoing challenges such as continuing poverty, HIV/AIDS, and the legacy of racism. These challenges are not unique. Americans also face issues of white privilege, adequate health care, the suffering of the poor, and economic development which seriously affect our relationships and our lives as people of faith. 

Dr. Robert A. Evans, Executive Director of Plowshares Institute, an organization that has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for work with South African partners during this period, will speak and chair a panel discussion.

The panel will include Margaret Steinegger-Keyser, a South African citizen who contributed to the struggle for liberation, served with Plowshares, and is now Executive Director of the Interfaith Coalition for Equity and Justice. Additional panelists from the United States and Africa will speak to the lessons South Africa offers a world much in need of reconciliation. 

This event is free. Light refreshments will be served.

Location: Hartford Seminary, 77 Sherman St, Hartford CT

Sponsored by: Plowshares Institute, Hartford Seminary, and the Connecticut World Affairs Council

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ET 645 ETHICS: A CASE APPROACH to Empowering Reconciliation and Dialogue

Hartford Seminary
Tuesdays and Thursdays
May 29-June 28^th, 6-9PM
 

Plowshares directors, Robert and Alice Evans, and staff will be teaching a course at Hartford Seminary this coming May and June. Many believe the US is in a moral crisis complicated by a polarized society.  This context challenges persons of faith to build skills in ethical reflection as well as reconciliation.  Using true, “problem-posing” case studies class discussion will focus on economics, environment, health and sexuality.  This dynamic, interactive approach helps religious and community leaders deal more faithfully and effectively with ethical decision-making from a faith perspective.  The course will also involve learning skills of creative pro-active conflict intervention that the Evans have employed in the US, Indonesia and South Africa which led to their nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Participants will also be equipped to use this method to engage congregations, communities and co-workers in constructive dialogue and change. The course will meet each Tuesday and Thursday evening from May 29 to June 28 from 6 to 9 p.m.

For more information or to register: Contact Plowshares

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Conflict Transformation Training
Simsbury United Methodist Church, CT
June 2, 2007 9 AM- 4PM

Community Conflict Transformation (CCT) training helps communities and parties build skills, achieve new levels of respect and empowerment, and develop mutually beneficial agreements.  Based on years of experience in South Africa equipping leaders for a post-apartheid reality, Plowshares developed the Peace Skills curriculum to equip community, government, and religious leaders to transform the energy of conflict into constructive systemic change.  Trusting in the capacity of local leaders to resolve community conflicts, course leaders seek to empower participants to be more effective agents of reconciliation within their congregations and communities. The curriculum uses interactive case studies, role-plays, and small group discussions to prepare participants to bridge barriers and help conflicting parties reach just and sustainable resolutions.

Through This Workshop You Will Be Introduced to:

· Mediation skills

· Paraphrasing and Listening Skills

· How to distinguish parties’ positions from their underlying interests

· Strategies for breaking an impasse

· Tactics for addressing conflict proactively

· Insights for understanding the nature of conflict

· How to use conflict as a constructive tool to heal congregations and communities

· Practical skills for getting conflicting parties together
 

The workshop will be held at the Simsbury United Methodist Church on 809 Hopmeadow St. in Simsbury, CT.  The registration fee of $20 includes a simple breakfast, lunch, and a copy of Peace Skills: A Manual for Community Mediators by Ron Kraybill, Alice Frazer Evans, and Robert A. Evans. 

For more information or to register: Contact Plowshares or return the registration form.