There is a constant battle between the individual longing for freedom and civilisation demanding conformity and repression of instincts. And so, individuals are constantly sending subtle and not-so-subtle messages about their feelings and this restricted freedom. I had this on my mind recently as I took the trolley bus through Sarajevo.
Read MoreUyghur, Kazakh, Tibetan, and other minority families are being traumatized through the assimilationist policies of the Chinese government. These policies include children being forcibly separated from their parents and put in boarding school where they are systematically stripped of their language, culture, and religion.
Read MorePope Francis is currently in Canada and has delivered a historic apology for the suffering and abuse in the Catholic boarding schools for Canada's indigenous peoples. This apology comes on the heels of the Pope's apology from the Vatican in April of this year. Schools of this type are not just things of the past, though. Similar boarding schools are currently in operation in China for Uyghur and Tibetan peoples. Watch the video from this joint event with Peace Catalyst as well as representatives from several Uyghur and Tibetan human rights advocacy organizations to learn more about what's happening.
Read MoreI applied to Notre Dame’s faculty-led trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina this summer because I wanted to learn more about a part of Europe that is often left out of history books and course syllabi. I wanted to educate myself on the rich history of the country, and the current situation in regards to peacebuilding. This trip did help me accomplish those goals, but the most impactful part of the journey was actually a conversation about my own country.
Read MoreDuring our May student trip to Sarajevo, Amra, one of our discussion facilitators, laughed, cigarette dangling from her lips, as she likened the city to a femme fatale—alluring, but with a dark side. It was, we soon learned, an apt description for a lovely and complicated city, one that has been simultaneously strengthened and scarred by its history.
Read MoreBosnia and Herzegovina is not a place I had ever pictured myself visiting. But thanks to a student trip made possible by the University of Notre Dame and Peace Catalyst International, I recently visited the country—not as a tourist, but as a student of peacebuilding who gained a new appreciation for the role of religion in peace processes and reconciliation.
Read MoreHow can peacemaking be the thing that leads to justice, and vice versa? From a Jesus-following perspective, we can see how the methods of creativity and nonviolence that Jesus used not only disarmed the oppressors of His time and perhaps convicted them of their wrongdoing, but also gave a sense of freedom and dignity to the person being mistreated. There's something different about creative nonviolence in the ways of Jesus - it's not just about freeing the oppressed; it's also about freeing the oppressor.
Read MoreFor the first time since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are very excited to announce that our registration is open for individuals and small groups to come to Bosnia & Herzegovina on our fall 2022 Catalyze Peacebuilding Pilgrimage.
Read MoreWe are excited to announce that the Nanovic Institute for European Studies at the University of Notre Dame will be leading a group of students to work with us in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in May of this year. The trip will be led by Mahan Mirza, Teaching Professor at the Keough School of Global Affairs, and Executive Director of its Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion.
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