mesoamerica

Starting in the 1980s, John Paul participated through the outreach program of Semilla (whose headquarters were based in Guatemala City), a popular education and extension program that worked primarily with grassroots and church-related leadership. This program was offered to all of the countries of Central America from Panama to Mexico. Semilla also developed a publishing arm that produced a number of his books and essays from this time period. Wendy and John Paul lived in Costa Rica during a significant portion of this period. The primary fieldwork for his dissertation emerged from his experience with local community understandings of conflict and its transformation, particularly in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. His most extensive direct work became the support for the conciliation and peace process in Nicaragua that led up and through the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Accompaniment: Walking Alongside an Organizational Journey
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presentation
Accompaniment: Walking Alongside an Organizational Journey

John Paul shares reflections about accompaniment embedded in a story from his experience from the 1980s being alongside negotiations to end the war in Nicaragua.

2023
Ponencia de John Paul Lederach
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presentation
Ponencia de John Paul Lederach

A lectured delivered for a conference entitled, “Desarme integral en América Latina y el Caribe,” organized by the Alianza por el Desarme.

2022
Caminos y conversaciones de cuatro décadas
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presentation
Caminos y conversaciones de cuatro décadas

Conferencia de John Paul Lederach, con comentarios y reflexiones de Gastón Aín y Francisco Diez, en el marco del III Congreso Americano de Mediación, organizado por Fundación Mediar.

2021
Talleres Especiales Transformación de Conflictos
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video recording
Talleres Especiales Transformación de Conflictos

A special workshop delivered at the XI Congreso Mundial de Mediación y I Congreso Nacional para la Construcción de la Paz held in Lima, Perú in September 2015.

2015
Art and Peacebuilding: Dwelling at the Hearth
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presentation
Art and Peacebuilding: Dwelling at the Hearth

A keynote delivered at the virtual Art in the Place of Conflict conference, organized by the Derry Playhouse in Northern Ireland.

2020
Dispatches from Nowhere Near the Promise Land: How a Peacebuilder Unlearned His Trade
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presentation
Dispatches from Nowhere Near the Promise Land: How a Peacebuilder Unlearned His Trade

A lecture delivered on the occasion of being awarded the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize at Brandeis University.

2019
Compassionate Presence: Faith-based Peacebuilding in the Face of Violence
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presentation
Compassionate Presence: Faith-based Peacebuilding in the Face of Violence

A lecture delivered in contribution to the Distinguished Lecture Series of the University of San Diego's Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice in February 2012.

2012
Dispatches from the Burning Ground: Compassionate Presence and Faith-based Peacebuilding
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presentation
Dispatches from the Burning Ground: Compassionate Presence and Faith-based Peacebuilding

A lecture shared at Conrad Grebel University College for the 2014 Convocation celebration on the topic of compassionate presence and faith-inspired peacebuilding.

2014
“In Conversation”: John Paul and Gladys Ganiel
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interview
“In Conversation”: John Paul and Gladys Ganiel

A conversation at the 2021 4 Corners Festival reflecting on peacebuilding and conflict transformation through John Paul's career past and present.

2021
more reflections