Practicum: Slow but steady

This blog is supposed to be a place for me to discuss my practicum research, but I haven't talked much about my own research yet. This is because my research has been going very slowly. I knew that this would be the case because many of the people I hope to interview do their main projects over the summer. For that reason, I haven't gotten to do as many interviews as I would have liked, and I don't want to post about any interviews until I have signed consent forms back from participants. Much of my effort so far this summer has focused on identifying potential participants and contacting these people to request interviews. Some have responded and some haven't. Those who have responded have been open to participating, but arranging a mutually agreeable time has been difficult. Additionally, some of the people I will interview live in other time zones, which has complicated matters. However, I do have several interviews scheduled in the next few weeks.

As I have not been conducting many interviews this summer, I have instead taken time to consider the conflicts behind the peacebuilding work I am researching. This is reflected in my blog posts to date. I have tried to post this summer about some of the issues I feel are important when considering why peacebuilding is necessary and the best ways to approach it. There are so many ways that we humans have found to divide ourselves, from race to religion to the people we choose to associate with. I have been interested in peacebuilding since I first worked with ROM in Croatia in 2005. Over the past 8 years I have read numerous books, media articles, and blog posts, attended lectures, watched films, talked to people who have experienced conflict and those who work to prevent it or encourage reconciliation, and visited historic sites and museums. Given my past experience, I can't say that my ideas about peacebuilding have evolved a great deal over this particular summer. But this summer has given me an opportunity to consider my personal involvement in peacebuilding work, and what I hope to contribute through my research.

It is my great hope that my research will identify some best practices or things that can be changed in order to make peacebuilding work more effective and efficient, ultimately helping to prevent conflicts from happening in the first place and/or helping peace to be restored more quickly when conflict does arise.

Love one another

The NPR piece, Anti-Gay Riot In Tblisi Tests Balance Between Church, State, details an incident in Tbilisi, Georgia, in which Orthodox clergy not only participated in attacks against gay rights activists, but encouraged their congregations to do likewise. 

The former Soviet republic of Georgia is contending with the aftermath of an episode of mass violence that took place in May. In Georgia's capital city, Tblisi, a mob of thousands attacked a small group of people who were staging a protest against homophobia.The leaders of the attack? Georgian Orthodox priests. … The incident began when members of Georgia's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and their supporters obtained a permit to hold a vigil on the steps of parliament. They planned to mark the International Day Against Homophobia on May 17. … When some leaders of the Georgian Orthodox Church heard about it, they urged their congregations to come to a counterdemonstration, which was promoted as a peaceful and family-oriented event. When the day came, it was anything but peaceful. Led by Orthodox priests, the crowd overwhelmed the police barrier around the small group of anti-homophobia demonstrators. Video from the clash shows a priest brandishing a stool as a weapon; other priests are heard to curse and yell "Kill them! Kill them!"

I heard this story on the radio while driving home from work recently, and I could not believe my ears. I have spent quite a bit of time in Eastern Europe and just visited Tbilisi in April, so I understand that there is little support for gay rights in this part of the world. However, although I have heard of many such incidents, I have not heard of one promoted by and participated in by the very leaders who are supposed to teach their congregations to love their neighbors as themselves (Mark 12:31, Matthew 22:39). 


The Bible I read teaches that we are all equal in the sight of God, and specifically calls believers to love others: 


"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35).


It also commands that murder is a crime (Exodus 20:13). 


It is understandable that different people will have different beliefs or opinions, but that does not give any of us the right to enact violence on others, particularly if we ever hope to win them over to our way of thinking. Who would want to become just like their persecutors? Stockholm syndrome is classified as a mental illness for a reason. 


In any case, whether or not another person ever agrees with our way of thinking, we each have a responsibility to see others as worthy of respect. Violence is never an acceptable solution, and inevitably leads to more violence. We owe ourselves and those who come after us something better. Certainly it is more difficult and more time consuming to resolve differences through dialogue, but I truly believe this is the only way to achieve lasting and sustainable peace.