Catholic Peacebuilding in Times of Crisis: Hope for a Wounded World
The world is emerging from an historic health crisis that has exacerbated existing conflicts, poverty, inequalities, polarization, and threats to the environment. While the pandemic led to unprecedented cooperation and heroic responses by many, it also exposed deficits in leadership and emboldened authoritarians, demagogues, and chauvinistic nationalists. Just as the world hopes to move beyond the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens global peace in ways thought unimaginable when the pandemic began. The challenge to Catholic peacebuilders is clear: we must ensure that the post-pandemic return to “normal” does not look like the pre-pandemic status quo, or worse. That will require an integral and integrated approach to peace, development and ecology because the cry of war’s victims, the cry of the poor, and the cry of the earth rise as one (Laudato Si’, no. 49).
This conference will convene a wide range of Catholic peacebuilders – Church leaders, scholars, peacebuilding specialists and other practitioners – from around the world.
It will allow participants to learn from their rich and diverse experiences in confronting challenges to peace around the world and help them discern new and creative ways to respond to the historic challenges to peace that we now face.
Language:
- Plenary sessions sessions will be in English with simultaneous translation in French and Spanish.
- Breakout sessions will be in either English, French, or Spanish, with select sessions in simultaneous translation.
Lead sponsor: The Catholic Peacebuilding Network
In collaboration with:
- Holy See Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
- Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
- Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame
- Javeriana Pontifical University
- Caritas Colombia/ National Social Pastoral Secretariat
- Catholic Relief Services
- Office of Global Engagement, Boston College
- Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, Georgetown University
- Office of International Justice and Peace, US Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Center on Religion and Culture, Fordham University
- International Federation of Catholic Universities
- Department of Justice and Peace Studies, University of St. Thomas
- Pax Christi International
- Franciscans International
- Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
- Sant'Egidio Foundation for Peace and Dialogue
- Las Casas Institute for Social Justice, Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford
- Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference Parliamentary Liaison Office
- Institut Superieur de Paix et Reconciliation, Catholic University of Bukavu
- School of Conflict Studies, St. Paul University
- Gudorf Chair in Catholic Theology and Culture, University of Dayton
- Department of Peace Studies, College of St. Benedict/St. John's University
- Association of Catholic Universities and Higher Institutes of Africa and Madagascar
- Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion, University of Notre Dame