UMaine Peace Studies Conference Promotes “Inner Peace, Outer Action
Contact: George Manlove at (207) 581-3756
ORONO — Philosophers, musicians, dancers, artists, healers, Buddhists and an Iraqi peace activist are just some of more than 80 speakers participating in the first annual peace conference at the University of Maine.
Scheduled June 18-20 and sponsored by the UMaine Peace Studies Program and the Maine Humanities Council, “Peacemaking in the 21st Century: Inner Peace, Outer Action” offers more than 24 panel discussions, and will pose thought-provoking questions about traditional definitions of peace and applications of the peace-making process.
“With so much focus on war, we feel there also needs to be a parallel focus on peace and peace-making in the 21st Century,” says co-organizer Phyllis Brazee, an associate professor of education and director of the UMaine Peace Studies Office. “And collectively, we in peace studies are aware that it isn’t all outer action, but it’s inner action that helps us better understand what peace is.”
The three-day conference, being held at Jenness and Neville halls on the Orono campus, also has attracted teachers, writers, human rights activists, Native Americans, clergy, among others, who are coming from around the community, the state and the world, in some cases, to speak or lead workshops.
“We’ve really put together a broad-based program rather than going in depth because we wanted to help people see the array of arenas that peace-making needs to be in,” she says. “Many people define peace very narrowly and we’re trying to help demonstrate how broad peace and peacemaking is.
“You tell me — How do you define peace?” she asks. “We’re trying to help people envision a culture of peace. We’re hoping it will be inspirational, uplifting and informative.”
Brazee and conference co-founder Hugh Curran, adjunct professor of peace studies, designed the conference so that people can attend for a half day, all day or all three days.
The conference is described in its brochure as “a forum to those who are exploring themes of peace in a rich variety of ways, from spirituality to art, from storytelling to dance, from Native rights to veterans’ rights, from compassionate living to restorative justice and reconciliation. All the speakers and panelists will share their insights and experience, as will the audience, who will be participating with questions and observations of their own.”
Keynote speakers include:
Sulak Sivaraksa, a native of Thailand and Buddhist monk who was educated in Wales and England and works as a university lecturer in Thailand was the editor for six years of the “Social Science Review,” which he founded in 1953. He will speak on Engaged Buddhism from 9-10 a.m. June 18.
Doug Allen, professor of philosophy at UMaine, who has served as president of the International Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy, teaches classes on Hinduism and Buddhism and will speak from 1-2 p.m. June 18 on the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
Afaf Stevens, an Iraqi woman, now an American citizen, who has lived 30 years in both the east and the west, will explore the impact of Islam on western sciences and culture, the culture and role of women in the Middle East and myths, misconceptions and stereotypes of diverse religious traditions. She speaks from 9-10 a.m. June 19.
Jonathan Wilson, the founder, publisher and editor of “Hope Magazine” and founder of the non-profit Justice Alternatives, which explores promising practices in justice and correction, will speak from 1-2 p.m. June 19.
Wayne Newell, director of bilingual education and a tribal planner with the Indian Township Government, is the author of more than 40 books on Passamaquoddy and Maliseet native languages, works with the Maine Department of Education in developing a Native studies curriculum. He will speak from 9-10 a.m. on June 20.
Thomas Turay, is a Sierra Leonean who teaches community-based conflict transformation and peace building at the Coady Institute in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He also facilitates development-related workshops in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. He will speak with Sulak Sivaraksa from 1-2 p.m. on June 20.
Others on the agenda scheduled to share ideas from a variety of disciplines and perspectives include faculty from UMaine.
In addition to Doug Allen, the list includes Kyriakos Markides, professor of sociology, Hugh Curran, Michael Grillo, art professor, Michael Lewis, artist and UMaine art professor, John Bear Mitchell, interim director of the UMaine Wabanaki Center, Barbara Blazej, director of the Youth Violence Prevention Program on campus, Peggy Cruikshank, a lecturer in Women in the Curriculum at UMaine and Maria Timberlake, a research assistant at the campus Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Services and an activist with Amnesty International.
The conference begins Friday, June 18 with breakfast and registration at Jenness Hall from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and winds up the first day at 9 p.m., following dinner and an evening of jazz.
Events Saturday, June 19, begin with a morning ceremony and contemplative practice from 6:30-7:30 a.m., led by Arnie Neptune, a Penobscot Indian Nation elder. Following breakfast, and registration at Jenness for single-day registrants, the program resumes at 9 a.m. with keynote speaker Afaf Stevens and ends at 9 p.m. after a performance of Native American drumming and storytelling by John Bear Mitchell and flute music by Hawkes Henries, a member of the Nipmuc Nation who also makes flutes.
Sunday’s events begin with a morning ceremony from 6:30-7:30 a.m. led by Rev. Jim Glower, breakfast and single-day registration and Wayne Newell speaking at 9 a.m. The conference ends Sunday after a 4 p.m. closing ceremony conducted by Peter Baldwin of Brooks, Maine, who makes wooden orchard ladders and drums, and orchestrates drum and fire circles.
Information and a detailed conference schedule is available on the web site http://dll.umaine.edu/peace. Additional information can be obtained by calling the peace studies program at (207) 581-2609 or, for registration questions and information about conference fees and scholarships, (207) 581-4094. On campus housing is available for the three-day event.