2023 PJSA Conference program & Session Descriptions!

(Updated 9/14/23)

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Please note that conference sessions will be held on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, and all session rooms are in the Memorial Union. The Sun, Cardinal, Gold, and Campanile Room are located on the second floor of the Memorial Union. Rooms beginning with 2 are located on the second floor, and those that begin with 3 are on the 3rd floor.

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Thursday, September 14, 2023 

*Note: Thursday’s meeting and dinner are restricted to members of the Board of Directors of the PJSA. Conference programming begins Friday, September 15 at 12:30pm.

3:00-5:00 PJSA Board of Directors Meeting Part 1 [Room 3512]

6:00-8:00 PJSA Board of Directors Dinner

Friday, September 15

9:00-11:30 PJSA Board of Directors Meeting Part 2 [Room 3512]

*Note: Friday’s meeting is restricted to members of the Board of Directors of the PJSA. Conference programming begins Friday, September 15 at 12:30 pm.

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10:30-12:00: Shuttles from the Gateway Hotel (2100 Green Hills Drive) to ISU Memorial Hall

Registration available throughout the day: Sun Room, foyer

12:30-12:45 Conference opening featuring Dawn Bratsch-Prince, Associate Provost for Faculty (Iowa State University), and a member of the 2023 ISU-PJSA Conference Committee. [Sun Room]

12:45-2:00 Plenary #1: “Peace in Place: Language” featuring Michael Dahlstrom, Ph.D. (Iowa State University), Sheri Marlin, M.Ed. (Waters Center for System Thinking), and Denise Coberley, M.A. (Iowa State University). [Sun Room]

2:30-3:45 Concurrent session #1

• [Panel 1A] Connecting peacebuilding with non-traditional peace studies disciplines (Chair: Margarita Tadevosyan) [Room 3560]
  • Engineering Ethics Education: Opportunities for Peacebuilding in the Civil Engineering Profession (Kyle Payne, Bellevue University)
  • Nurses’ Lived Experience of Peacebuilding (​​Brenda Srof, Western Michigan University)
  • Peacebuilding and the Prenatal Experience: Exploring Current Narratives and Future Directions (Gretchen Feldpausch, Iowa State University)
  • Cultivating Nonviolent Relations as Positive Peace in Teacher Education (Hongyu Wang, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa)
  • The Queen of Hearts Interrogates Pinocchio (Gabriel Ertsgaard, Peace Chronicle)

• [Panel 1B] Peace Through Food, Empowerment & Community (Chair: Christina Campbell) [Room 3580]
  • Defining Food Peace: A continuum and framework for peacebuilding (Christina Campbell, Iowa State University)
  • United for Change: Student resistance to campus food insecurity (Rachel Brand, Santa Clara University)
  • “A Place of Peace”: Food Sovereignty Movements and Collective Action for Food Peace (Emily A Holmes, Christian Brothers University)
  • Building Resilient Rural Communities Through Belonging (Megen O’Toole, Iowa State University) 
  • It Takes A village to Reduce Recidivism (Teshara Arthur, Nova Southern University) 

• [Panel 1C] Technology Horizons and Possibilities for Peace (Chair: Michael Loadenthal) [Room 2630]
  • What does Martin Luther King Jr’s Conception of Human Dignity Offer the Future of Work in the 4th Industrial Revolution? (Colleen Wessel-McCoy, Earlham School of Religion)
  • Anxieties About Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Peace, Security, and International Relations (Jo Ann Oravec, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater)
  • Resistance in the Surveillance State Shadow: Building Revolutionary Commons (Dave Reilly, Niagara University)

• [Panel 1D] Storytelling (Chair: Wim Laven) [Cardinal Room]
  • Mapping Songworlds as Lifeworlds: Taking Musical Worldbuilding Seriously for Social Transformation (Audrey Williams, George Mason University) 
  • Refugee Storytelling as Peacebuilding (Emily Davis, University of Delaware)
  • How finding my family in the Thirty Years War leads to peace (Kate Challis, Iowa State University)
  • A critical study of habitual narratives can help peace between Roma and non-Roma (Maria Subert, California Polytechnic State University) 
  • Forgiveness, Structural Violence, Trauma, and Healing (Wim Laven, Cuyahoga Community College)

• [Discussion 1A] Pedagogies of Climate Justice: A collaborative discussion [Gold Room]
  • Michelle Collins-Sibley, University of Mount Union
  • Michael Chadukiewicz, Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health
  • Joy Meeker, Saybrook University
  • Max Van Gelder, Saybrook University

• [Workshop 1A] Nurturing Inclusion and Collaborative Creativity in the Pursuit of Positive Peace [Campanile Room]
  • Angela Waseskuk, US Department of Arts and Culture 
  • Andy Hansen, Waterloo School District
  • Abbylynn Helgevold, Wartburg College
• [Excursion] Peace in Pints: A tour of the food science and human nutrition brewery
  • Tours organized by the local arrangement committee. Space is limited to 25 individuals.
  • If you would like to attend, meet our team at the registration table at 2:15pm to walk to the brewery.

 

4:15-5:30 Concurrent sessions #2

• [Panel 2A] The Art of Peacemaking (Chair: Lee Smithey) [Room 3512]
  • Promoting Positive Peace through Collaborative Songwriting: Connecting Incarcerated Voices with Society (Mary Cohen, The University of Iowa)
  • Painting and Peacebuilding: The Life of Murals in Northern Ireland (Lee Smithy, Swarthmore College)
  • The Restorative Justice Values Coded into Janis Ian and Mike Resnick’s “Stars” Anthology: Nancy Kress’ “EJ-ES,” and Diane Duane’s “Hopper Painting” (Amanda Martinez, Berea College)
  • Cyprus – The Border as Art, the Border as War (Hilmi Ulas, Chapman University)

• [Panel 2B] Critical somatic practices to support intersectional justice (Chair: Joy Meeker) [Room 3580]
  • Joy Meeker, Saybrook University
  • Alexander Hall, Saybrook University
  • Rochelle McLaughlin, Saybrook University
  • Rasheeda Ouedraogo, Saybrook University

• [Panel 2C] Pedagogies of Peace and Justice (Chair: Simon Cordery) [Room 3560]
  • Speculative Fiction, Imagined Futures, and Theories of Social Change (Camille Tinnin, Kent State University)
  • A “Positive Peace Pedagogy” for Addressing Unreconciled Histories of Structural Violence (Roy Tamashiro, Webster University)
  • Conceptualising Positive Peace (​​Aidan Gnoth, University of Marburg)
  • Imagining Ancient Greek Arbitration: Literary and Visual Portraits (Seán Easton, Gustavus Adolphus College)
  • How to Teach ‘Heritage’ Studies in Divided Societies: Using Northern Ireland as a Case Study (Khalil Dokhanchi, University of Wisconsin-Superior)

• [Panel 2D] Documentary filmmaking to improve global responses to conflict-related sexual violence (Chair: Lisa Leitz) [Campanile Room]
  • Lisa Leitz, Chapman University
  • Christine Fugate, Chapman University
  • Ruthie Weeks, Chapman University
  • Blair Henry, Chapman University
  • Francesca Hill, Chapman University
  • Belle Kunzmann, Chapman University
  • Czerena Bayle, Chapman University
  • Kawai Kapuni, Chapman University
  • Emma Drake, Chapman University

• [Roundtable 2A] “Food Injustice to Food Rebellion” [Cardinal Room]
  • Madison Trusty, Berea College 
  • Ei Zin Aung, Berea College
  • Dayjha Carter-Hogg, Berea College

• [Discussion 2A] Towards decolonizing restorative justice [Gold Room]
  • Christopher Mendez, Legal Rights Center
  • Sonja Fernandez-Quinones, PMGS Collab

6:00-6:45 Pre-keynote reception [Sun Room]

7:00-8:00 Keynote #1 with Pádraig Ó Tuama, “The Language of Peace” [Sun Room]

• As September 15 is Erev Rosh HaShanah (Eve of the Jewish New Year), the conference committee is coordinating with the Ames Jewish Congregation to facilitate conference attendees’ participation in services for those who choose to do so. Erev services will begin around 8pm (3721 Calhoun Ave, Ames). Conference attendees seeking to join the services are warmly welcomed and can reach out to Michael@peacejusticestudies.org with questions.

8:00-9:30: Shuttles from  ISU Memorial Hall to the Gateway Hotel (2100 Green Hills Drive)

Saturday, September 16

7:00-8:30: Shuttles from the Gateway Hotel (2100 Green Hills Drive) to ISU Memorial Hall

Registration available throughout the day: Durham Great Hall, foyer

8:00-9:30 Coffee and Tea [Oak Room]

9:00-10:15 Concurrent session #3

• [Panel 3A] Pedagogies of Peace and Justice (Chair: Brooke Moreland) [Room 3560]
  • Analyzing the Use of Documentaries for Promoting Peace and Social Justice (Kuldeep Niraula, George Mason University)
  • Culturally Responsive Teaching as Distributive Justice (Aaron A. Baker, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point)
  • The Question of Positive Peace and the White Supremacist Attack on Diversity in Higher Education – A Case for Insurrectionist Ethics (Adebayo Oluwayomi, West Chester University of Pennsylvania)
  • Transformative Leadership As A Vehicle for Peace-Building in Higher Education (Brooke Moreland, Indiana University)

• [Panel 3B] The Aspects of Positive Peace in Contemporary India (Chair: Swasti Bhattacharyya) [Gold Room]
  • Micro-level Water Conflicts in the Ganga River Basin: A Review (Aditya Raj Kashyap, Banaras Hindu University)
  • Indecent Representation of Women’s Body in Indian Advertisement (Tanya Puri, Banaras Hindu University)
  • Fragile Existences: A study of how Non-Binary Identities navigate Conflict Areas (Samprikta Chatterjee, Banaras Hindu University)
  • Towards a Zero Waste Lifestyle: An overview of ancient lifestyle wisdom with special reference to Sanatan Dharma (Deep Shikha, Banaras Hindu University)
  • Access to Yoga as a Means to Positive Peace (Sowmya Ayyar, Banaras Hindu University)

• [Panel 3C] Conflicts in Israel-Palestine and the Wider Middle East (Chair: Lynne Woehrle) [Room 2630]
  • “We can’t lose more of our blood”: Israeli and Palestinian Youth Perform Patriotism and Ethical Reconciliation (Alyssa M. Paylor, University of Notre Dame)
  • Contested Solidarities: Negotiating Transnational Solidarity through Tourism in Palestine (Anna Johnson, University of Notre Dame) 
  • Sports Violence and Identity Conflict: Soccer in Jordan (Jamil Al Wekhian, Kent State and Jihad Al-Ameri, University of Jordan)

• [Panel 3D] Positive Peace in the “Free World”: Global Perspectives on Capitalism and Justice (Chair: Sean Raming) [Room 3580]
  • Sean Raming, University of Notre Dame
  • Debora Rogo, University of Notre Dame
  • Jeremi Panganiban, University of Notre Dame
  • Wesley Hedden, University of Notre Dame

• [Discussion 3A] Queer Justice in 2023 [Campanile Room]
  • Geoffrey Bateman, Regis University
  • Max Mowitz, One Iowa
  • Caraline Feairheller, Kent State University
  • Laura Finley, Barry University
  • Ellis Langham, Regis University
  • AJ Segneri, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukie
  • Margarita Tadevosyan, George Mason University

• As September 16 is Rosh HaShanah (the Jewish New Year), the conference committee is coordinating with the Ames Jewish Congregation to facilitate conference attendees’ participation in services for those who choose to do so. Services will begin around 10am (3721 Calhoun Ave, Ames). Conference attendees seeking to join the services are warmly welcomed and can reach out to Michael@peacejusticestudies.org with questions.

10:45-12:00 Concurrent session #4

• [Panel 4A] Internationalism and Peace (Chair: Sheherazade Jafari) [Campanile Room]
  • “Was it all worth it? The Witness perception of their own contribution at the ICTY” (Melissa McKay, University of NorthTexas)
  • Affect and Advocacy: Interrogating Spaces and Places of Activism at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (Michael Campbell, Western University)
  • Lessons in Peace Messaging (Lisa Leitz, Chapman University)
  • Brighter Futures: Reframing Our Understandings of Power in the Experiences and Practices of Women in the Kurdish Liberation Movement and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Stephanie Gibb-Clark, Iowa State University)
  • Settler Colonialism Through Discourses of Conquest and Resistance (Sausan Ghosheh, George Mason University)

• [Panel 4B] Conflict, Justice, and US Politics (Chair: Michelle Collins-Sibley) [Room 3560]
  • Exiting Whiteness and Patriarchy: Embracing Oneness, Breaking Free of Incarcerating Ideologies, and Enabling Pathways to Belonging (Chuck Egerton, University of North Carolina Greensboro)
  • Tabula Rasa? African Diasporic Women in the USA and the UK and the Quest for ‘Life Success’ as Justice (Anique John, California State University Long Beach) 
  • Restorative Justice in Carceral Spaces (Brittany Baker, Berea College)
  • The War at Home: Exploring the Militarization of Social Welfare Policy (David Hornung, City University of New York-York College)
  • Gun Violence in America: Framing for Positive Peace (William French, Loyola University of Chicago) 

• [Panel 4C] Peace, Philosophy, Spirituality, Mindfulness (Chair: Swasti Bhattacharyya) [Cardinal Room]
  • Sarvodaya: A Path to Sustainable Living and Positive Peace (Swasti Bhattacharyya, Banaras Hindu University)
  • Mindful Leadership – Leading with Peace & Purpose (​Deepak Sridhar, Cities4Peace)
  • The Primacy of Love: The Essential bell hooks (Susan Cushman, Nassau Community College)
  • Building Contemporary Collaborative Activism (Movement?): Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Overcoming Social Identity Boundaries, and Creating the Spaces/Structures for Community Dialogue (Jeremy Rinker, University of North Carolina Greensboro)

• [Panel 4D] Experimental and Forward Thinking Approaches to Peace (Chair: Andrea Wheeler) [Room 2630]
  • Advocating and Organizing for Peace with Justice within both the Non-Profit and the Military Industrial Complex (Jonathan W. Hutto, Sr, Independent Scholar)
  • Curriculum Against Empire: Teaching the Military-Industrial Complex in the Anthropocene (Jerica Arents, DePaul University)
  • Approaches for Peacebuilding, Social Cohesion and Reconciliation (Noman Sajjad, University of Waterloo)
  • It Bleeds, and It Desperately Needs: the future of peace by changing the discourse and practice (Eleyan Sawafta, Kennesaw State University)
  • The cultivation of peace between us: The philosophy of Luce Irigaray and a sensitive conceptualization of positive peace (Andrea Wheeler, Iowa State University)

• [Panel 4E] Applied Peacebuilding: Youth and community-focused interventions (Chair: Kjerstin Pugh) [Room 3580]
  • Exploring Domestic Peacebuilding: Cocreated Programming for 16 – 24 year olds (Kjerstin Pugh, Columbia University)
  • LGBTQ+ Safety & Inclusivity in Public Education (Gab Hutchings, Columbia University)
  • Revolutionizing the educational system: Equality in learning between private and public schools in Haiti  (Ruth Dupiche, Columbia University)
  • BIPOC Parents of Transgender Teens: Journeys of Allyship (Amy Jones, Columbia University)

• [Discussion 4A] How Women in Higher Education Can Facilitate Peace, Justice, and Equity Work into Their Career [Gold Room]
  • Michelle Harris, University of Portland
  • Nya M’Bock, University of Pennsylvania

• Writer’s Studio with Ana McCracken of the Ames Writers Collective [Carver 290]

 

12:00-2:30 Lunch

Note: Explore Campustown or take the CyRide (fee required) to downtown Ames for lots of restaurant and deli options

1:00-2:00 PJSA membership meeting [Great Hall]

2:30-3:45 Plenary #2: “Peace in Place: Food & Land” featuring Sister Ann Jackson, PBVM (Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center), Beth Howard (The World Needs More Pie) and Mary Jo Forbord, RDN (Praire Horizons Farm) [Great Hall]

 

4:15-5:30 Concurrent session #5

• [Panel 5A] Exploring Gender, Sexuality, and Issues of Peace (Chair: Geoffrey Bateman) [Room 2630]
  • “How Can a Person Subject to Passion Represent Non-violence and Truth?”: Queer Tensions within Gandhian Nonviolence (Geoffrey Bateman, Regis University)
  • Rereading McGuinness: Feminism, Consent, and Revolutionary Nonviolence in the 21st Century (Kelly Rae Kraemer, St. John’s University) 
  • The Call for Two-Spirit Inclusivity: Deconstructing Colonial Narratives (Cam Marsengill, University of Iowa)
  • Reframing the Concept: Clare of Assisi and Positive Peace  (Bernadette McNary-Zak, Rhodes College)

• [Panel 5B] Environmental Justice and Peacemaking (Chair: Dave Reilly) [Campanile Room]
  • Articulating Environmental Violence: Intersectional Reflections on an Emerging Framework (Garrett FitzGerald, Pace University)
  • From Rape to Ecocide: 50 Years of Feminist Peacework (Selina Gallo-Cruz, Syracuse University) 
  • Localizing Policymaking through Peacebuilding: Lessons from Colombian Social Leaders on Creating Community-Led Solutions to Climate Induced Displacement (Nikki Stoumen, New York University)
  • Establishing the Local Roots of Ecological Civilization: Educating Students About Environmental Advocacy and a Shared Future for All Life on Earth (Jaime Lechner and Dave Reilly, Niagara University)

• [Panel 5C] Peacebuilding and the Arts, Panel One (Chair: Emily Welty) [Room 3560]
  • Emily Welty, Pace University
  • Dante Dallago, Pace University
  • Kalina Walaski, Pace University
  • Jennifer Holmes, Pace University
  • Michelle Collins-Sibley, University of Mount Union
  • Michael Klein, University of St. Thomas

• [Panel 5D] Putting Plowshares to Work: Peace Studies Campus and Community Collaborations (Chair: Katy Gray Brown) [Room 3580]
  • Katy Gray Brown, Manchester University
  • Elizabeth Kreps, Manchester University
  • Samuel Hupp, Manchester University
  • Colleen Caylor, Manchester University
  • Kora Beasley, Manchester University

• [Workshop 5A] Practicing Mindful Communication to Build Community and Foster Positive Peace [Gold Room]
  • Elavie Ndura, University of Washington Tacoma

• [Workshop 5B] Applying Systems Thinking to Solve Complex Problems [Cardinal Room]
  • Erin Bergquist, Iowa State University
  • Christina Campbell, Iowa State University
  • Sheri Marlin, Water Center for Systems Thinking

 

6:15-7:15 Awards reception with food [Memorial Union, Great Hall]

7:15-8:30 Keynote #2 and musical performance with Mariela Shaker, “My Bow Bends for Peace” [Memorial Union, Great Hall]

8:30-10:00: Shuttles from ISU Memorial Hall to the Gateway Hotel (2100 Green Hills Drive)

 

Sunday, September 17

7:30-9:00: Shuttles from the Gateway Hotel (2100 Green Hills Drive) to ISU Memorial Hall

Registration available throughout the day: Durham Great Hall foyer

8:00-9:00 Breakfast [Oak Room]

9:00-10:15 Concurrent session #6

• [Panel 6A] Peacebuilding: Developing an “Art and Science of Peace” undergraduate course (Chair: E.J. Bahng) [Gold Room]
  • Erin Bergquist, Iowa State University
  • E. J. Bahng, Iowa State University
  • Christina Campbell, Iowa State University 
  • Andrea Wheeler, Iowa State University 
  • Kenneth “Mark” Bryden, Iowa State University
  • Simon Cordery, Iowa State University 

• [Panel 6B] Peacebuilding and the Arts, Panel Two (Chair: Amanda Singer) [Room 3560]
  • Amanda Singer, Portland State University
  • Geoffrey Bateman, Regis College
  • Christie Skoorsmith, University of Washington
  • Jeffrey Aguiar, Nova Southeastern

• [Panel 6C] Peace and Justice through Recovery and Wellness (Chair: Michael Chadukiewicz) [Room 3580]
  • Michael Chadukiewicz, Yale University
  • Jennifer Chadukiewicz, The Southeastern Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
  • Herbert Half Crow Boyd, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

• [Discussion 6A] Does a military draft make peace or war more likely? [Campanile Room]
  • Edward Hasbrouck, Resisters.info
  • Mark Lance, Georgetown University
  • Matt Meyer, UMass Amherst
  • Habiba Choudhury, Wellesley College
  • Amy Rutenberg, Iowa State University

• [Discussion 6B] Knox College and Henry Hill Correctional Center: Expressivity across Borders [Cardinal Room]
  • Leanne Trapedo Sims, Knox College
  • Lee Buell, Knox College
  • Natalie Fluegel, Knox College
  • Izzy Oliver, Knox College
  • Joshua Carlos, Knox College
  • Eli Quint, Knox College
  • Nyah Brown, Knox College
  • Kesha Jackson, Knox College
  • Izumi Kitazawa, Knox College
  • Natalie Bodenhamer, Knox College

10:45-12:00 Concurrent session #7

• [Panel 7A] Identity, Conflict, Caucasus (Chair: Pushpa Iyer)
  • Alternatives to Rebellion for Russia’s Ethnic Minorities (Ali Askerov, University of North Carolina – Greensboro) [Room 3560]
  • At What Cost? The Strategic and Moral Dilemmas of Anti-Authoritarian Struggle (Sehrazat G. Mart, University of Notre Dame) 
  • Embracing The Stranger (Ana Ursaru, Lilly Barnette, & Dayjha Carter-Hogg, Berea College)

• [Panel 7B] Early Career Scholars Engaging with Extremism, Political Violence, and the Challenges for Peace (Chair: Michael Loadenthal) [Room 3580]
  • Theories of far-right radicalization
    • Bella Tuffias-Mora, Oberlin College
  • Terrogram, Accelerationism, & Critical Infrastructure Sabotage
    • Alexandria Grace Olsen, Georgetown University
  • Exploring the Prosecution Project: a student-led, decentralized network studying political violence
    • Michael Loadenthal, The University of Cincinnati

• [Panel 7C] The Vocation of the Peacemaker: Student Perspectives and Commitments to Peacebuilding in the Professions (Chair: Niki Johnson) [Campanile Room]
  • Niki Johnson, University of Mount Union
  • Leah Kadlecek, University of Mount Union
  • Gracyn Sage, University of Mount Union

• [Panel 7D] Intersectional Approaches to Peace and Justice (Chair: Emily Welty) [Room 2630]
  • Garrett FitzGerald, Pace University 
  • Emily Welty, Pace University
  • Natalie Maclay Tijerina, Pace University 
  • Camden Robertson, Pace University
  • Mikayla Meachem, Pace University

• [Discussion 7A] Critical Friends for “Emerging Leaders of an Inclusive Future” [Cardinal Room]
  • E.J. Bahng, Iowa State University
  • Carmen L. Gomes, Iowa State University
  • Sezen Sekmen, Kyungpook National University
  • Maria Florencia Giuliani, National University of Mar del Plata
  • Athena Hui Jiang, Iowa State University

12:00-12:30 Boxes lunch available [Durham Great Hall]

12:30-2:00 Closing Plenary #3: “Peace in Place: Building Community” featuring Ana McCracken, MFA (Ames Writers Collective), Alice McGary (Mustard Seed Community Farm), and Sharon Stewart (Lockwood Cafe) [Great Hall]

2:30-4:00: Shuttles from ISU Memorial Hall to the Gateway Hotel (2100 Green Hills Drive)