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Peace and Justice Studies Association - Annual Conference: Who Speaks for the Common Good?

Peace and Justice Studies Association - Annual Conference: Who Speaks for the Common Good?

Hosted by
Manhattan College
The Bronx, New York City

October 5-8, 2006

Shortly after September 11th, peace groups throughout the US distributed world flags with a photo of the earth and a slogan, "We're all in this together." That sense of the common good - that we are all bound together, living on one earth, and that our wellbeing is interconnected - is crucial to the development of a more peaceful and just world. Has this notion fallen out of favor? How do we resolve the tension between the dual strivings we each feel, to be autonomous, and yet to be connected?

In an era in which pursuing one's self-interest is commended, who speaks for the common good? Those who honestly attempt to do so are disempowered to act on it, and those who speak for the nations rarely even pretend to do so. How do we decide what really serves the common good, and how do we work for the common good? The rhetoric of a common good is sometimes misused to sacrifice the interests of some people, allegedly for the good of a greater number. How can we, as people committed to creating a peaceful, just world, promote a focus on the common good, properly understood?

Highlights:
Plenaries: The role of religion in seeking the common good: an interfaith panel * Who speaks for the common good in the global context * Opportunities and obstacles to ordinary people’s struggle for the good of all * Education for the Common Good

Presentations and discussions on K-12 education, college education for peace and justice, human rights, peacemaking in situations of conflict, non-violence, movements for peace and social change. Opportunities to visit organizations in NYC who are working for peace, justice and the common good.

PJSA is dedicated to bringing together academics, K-12 teachers and grassroots activists to explore alternatives to violence and share visions and strategies for peacebuilding, social justice, and social change.

For more information, contact Conference Organizer, Dr. Margaret Groarke at 718-862-7943 or pjsa2006@manhattan.edu. Or go to our website, www.peacejusticestudies.org.


Posted by Evelin at August 1, 2006 12:51 AM
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