Gerard Powers
Director of Policy Studies

Since the Spring of 2002, the Kroc Institute has played a formative role in developing the Catholic Peacebuilding Network (CPN), a voluntary network of practitioners, academics, clergy and laity from around the world who seek to enhance the study and practice of Catholic peacebuilding, especially at the local level.

The CPN grows out of a recognition that the Catholic Church is blessed with many “artisans of peace” who work to prevent conflicts from breaking out, resolve conflicts once started, and reconcile and rebuild divided societies after conflicts have ended.

The CPN aims to serve and complement these peacebuilding efforts by responding to several needs. First is a need to build and deepen relationships of solidarity among peacebuilders. Second, the CPN seeks to stimulate a more systematic mapping and analysis of the “best practices” of Catholic peacebuilding around the world. Third, the CPN seeks to help build capacity by linking peacebuilders to those who can provide the training, strategic planning, or other resources necessary for the Catholic community to be an effective force for peace in an area of conflict. Finally, the CPN hopes to stimulate further development of peacebuilding as a conceptually coherent, theologically accurate, spiritually enlivening and practically effective contribution to the Church’s broader reflection on and action for justice and peace.

While it is a Catholic network, its participants believe that effective Catholic peacebuilding involves dialogue and collaboration with those of other religious traditions and all those committed to building a more just and peaceful world.

The CPN moved toward a new and exciting stage of its development in 2004, beginning initiatives in four main areas:
• Convenings. The first major CPN conference, held at the University of Notre Dame from May 17-19, brought together 40 people from a dozen countries to examine Catholic peacebuilding initiatives in the Philippines, Rwanda, Colombia, Uganda, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Planning began for a second international conference, hosted by Catholic Relief Services, which will be held in Mindanao, the Philippines, from July 11-15, 2005.
• Clearinghouse. The CPN is poised to launch a web page and listserv that will serve as a clearinghouse for information on Catholic peacebuilding activities, resources and research.
• Research and Publishing. The CPN has begun planning a series of consultations that would lead to a major volume on the development of a spirituality, theology, ethics and praxis of a just peace.
• Training and Support. As the CPN grows, it will try to support the work of Catholic peacebuilders in conflict situations through training programs, collaboration on strategies for pastoral and policy initiatives, and assistance in accessing needed resources.

Gerard Powers joined the Kroc Institute in August 2004. He coordinates the CPN in close collaboration with specialists from Catholic Relief Services, Maryknoll, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Southern African Bishops Conference, the Catholic University of America, and the Sant’Egidio Community in the United States.

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