CTP Celebrates Ten Years

John Paul Lederach, founding director of EMU's Conflict Transformation Program, will be the keynote speaker at a kick-off dinner June 3 for a celebration of the CTP program's tenth anniversary at EMU. The dinner, set for 5:30 p.m., launches a weekend of workshops and classes ending with a sermon by EMU President Loren E. Swartzendruber on Sunday morning, June 5.

Four hundred people are expected to gather in Harrisonburg during the first weekend in June to celebrate the first decade of the CTP, which has grown to be one of the most-recognized peacebuilding centers in the world. Among the workshops and classes are two presentations by restorative justice expert Howard Zehr.

The CTP at EMU began with the enrollment of two American graduate students in 1994. It has now seen more than 1,500 people from 83 countries take one or more of its courses, with 160 of these earning a master's degree or graduate certificate in Conflict Transformation.

The program has expanded into three sections, The Practice Institute, Graduate Program, and the Summer Peacebuilding Institute. Each branch of the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding equips alumni with the skills required to "sow seeds of peace worldwide."

The Practice Institute's goals include "enhancing justice and strengthening peacebuilders and their organizations, as well as supporting justpeace at every level of society." It is the umbrella for the STAR (Strategies in Trauma Awareness and Resiliency) program; Justbridges, a defense-based victim liaison program; and projects and contracts.

STAR began in 2002 with the support of Church World Service as a conflict mediation program for post-September 11. It conducts seminars, workshops, and provides resources in the United States and internationally. STAR's unique approach to trauma healing connects personal transformation with organizational, societal, and global well-being. "I learned that unhealed trauma leads to cycles of vengeance. STAR taught me ways to get out of that cycle," said Bonnie Price Lofton, director of Development and Alumni of CTP. STAR currently has 800 alumni.

Just Bridges "seeks to address the needs of victims and their families throughout the legal process by providing a link between survivors and the defense, especially in capital cases." It looks for ways to use restorative justice in the legal system and try to close the gap between victims and the defense team.

The academics of CTP include a Master of Arts Degree or a graduate certificate. The seven are M.A. concentrations. CTP prefers students who are older and have experience working before enrolling in the program. The program prides itself in having practice-based learning and in creating an environment where professors are "facilitators of learning" and each student has the opportunity to share their knowledge.

Recently, EMU was awarded a half-million dollar grant to host the Fulbright Conflict Resolution Program through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. State Department. This scholarship enables international students who qualify to receive financial help to earn a Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation.