Internation Initiatives Promoting Conflict Resolution

NOTE:  Due to a family emergency, Prof. Reuwer needed to cancel his January 23 presentation to Essex Rotary.  Given his travel schedule - he leaves for east Africa later this week - he may join us on January 30 for an introduction and return later this year to fill us in on his conflict resolution work in South Sudan.  

Prof. Reuwer reached out to President Andy offering to share information about his work.  Given the interest in these international topics precipitated by our recent conversation about the collboration between Mediators Beyond Boarders and Rotary, Professor Reuwer has been invited to share his work and perspectives.  Note that he has offered a possible collaboration with Essex Rotary. 

Communication from Prof. Reuwer to Essex Rotary offering to speak / share his insights: 

I'm writing to you because of our mutual interest in peace and service beyond self, and would like to connect about this. Rotary's causes are: promoting peace; fighting disease; providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; saving mothers and children; supporting education; and growing local economies, yet our nation continues to suffer from high homicide rates and mass shootings, and much of the world seems unable to make peace as easily as it makes war, and struggling to make progress on any of the other issues. 

My field is nonviolent conflict resolution, the study of which makes me believe that the money and creativity humanity spends on preparing for violence is what keeps us from improving the world as you and I would like. I work with several organizations addressing this problem. My colleagues and I are thrilled by Rotary's work eliminating polio, and believe there to be a strong parallel in the cause of eliminating violence as a public health threat. 

I would like to address your group about any aspect of this work and share my excitement about the possibilties for a brighter future. I last addressed Rotarians several years ago while working to decrease urban violence in Harrisburg, PA, and was very well received.  

If you would be interested in a talk or workshop by me or my colleagues in the organizations listed below, or if you have any other ideas how we might work together, please contact me.

John Reuwer

Adj. Professor of Conflict Resolution, St. Michaels College

Coordinating Committee, World Beyond War

Physicians for Social Responsibility, Committee to Abolish Nuclear Weapons