Introduction

Peace Studies Coordinator Reflection

From the Institute

Peace Studies Student Research and Articles

In spring semester 2011 for the course Literature of Nonviolence, I completed two interviews of Joyfield Farm residents and peacemakers Rachel Gross and Cliff Kindy. These interviews, which encompassed around six hours in footage, sought to create living, local literature of nonviolence. The purpose of this reflection is to draw lessons from the interviews, to evaluate my role in the interview process, and to act as a record for future reference.

To see video interviews click here

This paper argues that Suzanne Collins' critique of violent revolution would have been more widely recognized if, rather than focusing on the destructive and counter-productive nature of violent revolution, she had continued to build on the groundwork for a nonviolent revolution she provided in the first two books. If she had allowed her characters to carry out a peaceful revolution based on Gene Sharp's principles, the outcome of the story would have been very different, both for her characters and for our national discussions surrounding the use of violence.

Community Articles

George Wolfe is currently Coordinator of Outreach Programs for the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at Ball State University where he served as Director of Peace Studies from 2002 to 2006. He is the author of several publications, including his recent book The Spiritual Power of Nonviolence: Interfaith Understanding for a Future Without War, which has been endorsed by Arun Gandhi, Bishop William E. Swing, and peace educator Michael N. Nagler. He is also a trained mediator and an ordained interfaith minister.