Justice and Peace Will Kiss:
A Conference on the Vocation of Peacemaking in a World of Many Faiths

In a world community in need of women and men committed to peacemaking and the fostering of interfaith dialogue, Marquette University and The Manresa Project announce a “Conference on the Vocation of Peacemaking in a World of Many Faiths” to take place September 22-24, 2005 in Milwaukee, WI.

The conference is designed to promote a sustained dialogue among the full range of the world’s cultures and religions. This meeting offers an opportunity for scholars, educators and activists to address this unique call to peacemaking as it is grounded in the theology and praxis of the world religions and as it arises in the milieu of contemporary global culture.

Through an exchange of research, conversation, scholarship, teaching and action grounded in the perspectives of many faith traditions, participants will engage in a dialogue from the perspectives of research, teaching and practice.

Presentations are invited to achieve the conference goals:
• To promote interfaith dialogue on peacemaking as a vocation
• To encourage multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary dialogue
• To disseminate research findings about contributions to the vocation of peace-making
• To build bridges between research, theory and praxis
• To encourage theological reflection

Presentations can be in the form of papers, workshops or panels. Proposals may be from the fields of theology, political science, communications, philosophy, history, pastoral ministry, education, and from activists within the full variety of the world religions. Proposals from other fields will also be welcomed for consideration. Presenters are encouraged to share their research, hopes, and experiences in addressing peacemaking in the contemporary world, both theoretically and practically.

The issues of vocation, peace and justice can be approached in a number of ways, for example:
• peace and reconciliation
• conflict resolution
• theological studies and reflection
• organizational structures
• healings of ancient religious animosities
• practical implementations of peace initiatives
• how peace and justice are intertwined
• the vocation of peacemaking
• peacemaking and its effects on human rights (i.e. land use, health care, clean water, etc.)

Dialogue that will be interfaith, collaborative, and cross-disciplinary is encouraged.

The featured speaker will be Fr. Cedric Prakash, SJ, Director of “Prashant,” a center for human rights, justice and peace located in Ahmedabad, India. Fr. Prakash has committed himself to the service of faith and the promotion of human rights, communal harmony, justice and peace over the last 30 years.

Submission Guidelines
Presentation proposals should include 1) 150 word abstract 2) 2-3 page proposal and 3) cover letter including all contact information. Electronic submissions (MS Word) should be sent to manresa@marquette.edu. Text submissions should be sent to Dr. Irfan Omar, Department of Theology, Marquette University, P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881. All proposals will undergo a peer review. Presentations should be an average of 30-45 minutes and include time for discussion. Expanded/full text presentations must be available one month (August 1, 2005) before the conference to be considered for publication following the conference.

February 16, 2005 Deadline for proposal submissions
April 1, 2005 Notification of acceptance

Selection and Notification
Abstract will be evaluated on the following criteria; clear statements of purpose, design, methods, conclusions, applicability to practice and conference theme, and quality of writing.
Papers/presentations that are collaborative and cross-disciplinary, as well as joint proposals from Marquette University and colleagues in different institutions will be given priority in acceptance.

Registration
Presenters must register for the conference and are expected to assume costs related to travel, accommodations, and registration. Appropriate documentation of participation will be provided for presenters who require this for travel subvention from their institutions

For more information, contact us at (414) 288-0263 or visit our website at:
http://www.marquette.edu/pages/home/manresa/facstaff/conferences

This conference is made possible with the assistance of Marquette University, the Manresa Project, and the Global Ethics and Religion Forum (http://www.gerforum.org/)