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"Peacebuilding in Community Colleges is at once practical and visionary, urging the community college beyond its local mission toward global impact by displaying approaches for making a direct and literal difference in the world. Unquestionably, a useful text for campus internationalization.
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- Paul J. McVeigh, Associate Vice President Global Studies and Programs, Northern Virginia Community College
Offering lifelong and developmental learning to over 13 million students at nearly 1,200 schools, community colleges in the United States attract a student body with remarkable economic, ethnic, and cultural diversity. They provide students with skills and foundational knowledge upon which successful professional careers and rewarding personal engagement can be built. This identity makes community colleges uniquely suited to teach global awareness and community building. Yet the development of peacebuilding and conflict resolution curricula is still a relatively new effort at these institutions.
In Peacebuilding in Community Colleges, David Smith underscores the importance of community colleges in strengthening global education and teaching conflict resolution skills. Enlisting contributions by twenty-three community college professionals, Smith has created a first-of-its-kind volume for faculty and administrators seeking to develop innovative and engaging peacebuilding and conflict resolution programs. Through case studies, how-to’s, sample syllabi and course materials, and inspiring anecdotes, contributors draw on learner-centered strategies, experiential learning, and interdisciplinary relationships to teach practical skills and strengthen global connections.
The contributors are sensitive to the complexity of teaching a community college student body that often closely reflects the diversity of the local population. They discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by different learning communities—including, for example, significant military, diaspora, and religious populations among their student bodies. Providing a common frame of analysis, Smith discusses important trends and future challenges for community colleges teaching peacebuilding, such as the transferability of credits to four-year institutions and the need to establish skills-based programs that can lead to defined and better employment opportunities. This volume is certain to be an invaluable resource in the field of peacebuilding education.
A former senior manager for educational outreach in USIP's Global Peacebuilding Center, David J. Smith is a conflict resolution practitioner and educator. A Fulbright Scholar, Smith taught at the University of Tartu (Estonia). He was also an associate professor at Harford Community College. In addition, Smith has taught at Goucher College, George Mason University, and Georgetown University. He currently serves as chair of the Rockville, Maryland Human Rights Commission.
Browse Inside the Book
▪ Frontmatter and Table of Contents
Contents
▪ Part I: Making Connections
▪ Teaching Peace in Democracy's Colleges - David J. Smith
▪ Launching a Career in Peacebuilding - John Paul Lederach
▪ Challenges of Building Peace Studies in the Early 21st Century - George A. Lopez
▪ Peace, Conflict Resolution, and the Essential Need for International Education - Kent A. Farnsworth
▪ Part II: Building Programs and Initiatives
▪ Global Peace Studies - Jeff Dykhuizen and Abbie Jenks
▪ Developing a Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies Program: Implementation Strategies - Jennifer Batton and Susan Lohwater
▪ Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution in Two Community Colleges - Tu Van Trieu and Kara Paige
▪ Community Building Through a Peace and Social Justice Institute - Karen Davis
▪ Teaching Peace through Short-Term Study Abroad: Long-Term Benefits for Students and Faculty - Vasiliki Anastasakos
▪ Redefining Community: Cooperative Vocational Education in Mozambique - Scott Branks del LLano
▪ Part III: Educating Peacebuilders
▪ Teaching Global Studies and Peace: Rural vs. Metropolitan Community Colleges - Jennifer Haydel and John Brenner
▪ Teaching Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law - Cindy Epperson and Isabelle Daoust
▪ Listening as the Foundation of Peacebuilding: Teaching Peace in the Humanities - Sarah Zale and Jane Rosecrans
▪ Field Training for Humanitarians and Peacebuilders - Paul C. Forage
▪ International Negotiations Modules Project - Joyce Kaufman and Greg Rabb
▪ Moving Forward: The Engaged Educational Experience - Barbara Thorngren and Michelle Ronayne
▪ Part IV: Future Implications
▪ The (Yellow Brick) Road Ahead - David J. Smith
▪ Appendices
▪ A. Resources for Teaching Peacebuilding
▪ B. U.S. Community Colleges with Global Peace and Conflict Programs and Initiatives
