arts-inspired peacebuilding

Emergent from the practice and life-vocation of peacebuilding and the pursuit of nonviolent social transformation, change agents need to envision themselves as artists. Building adaptive and responsive processes to accompany and facilitate social change requires a creative act, which at its core is more art than technique. Time and again, lasting social change that makes a difference has the DNA of the artist's intuition: The complexity of human experience captured in a simple image and in a way that moves individuals and whole societies. Far beyond the instrumental use of arts, peacebuilding unfolds as an artistic and aesthetic process. In this section, the archives explore the evolution and examples of John Paul's understanding and practice of arts-inspired peacebuilding.

The Poetics of Building Peace
Read
document
The Poetics of Building Peace

A speaking notes for a speech that explores the relationship between the practices of poetry and peacebuilding shared at Bethany Theological Seminary in March 2009.

2009
The Challenges of Peace and Conflict Situation in Thailand and Southeast Asia
Read Watch
presentation
The Challenges of Peace and Conflict Situation in Thailand and Southeast Asia

A presentation shared for the Virtual U.S. Speaker Program on Peace and Conflict Issues hosted by the Institute of Peace Studies at Prince of Songkhla University.

2022
A Sauntering Field Trip: The Extraordinary Arc of a Thousand Conversations…Plus a Few Side Notes on the Way to a Peace Conference
Read Watch
presentation
A Sauntering Field Trip: The Extraordinary Arc of a Thousand Conversations…Plus a Few Side Notes on the Way to a Peace Conference

A keynote address delivered for the University Notre Dame Student Peace Conference in April 2021.

2021
Art and Peacebuilding: Dwelling at the Hearth
Read Watch
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
Sustaining Peace: Concluding Thoughts
Read Watch
presentation
Sustaining Peace: Concluding Thoughts

A concluding keynote address delivered at the Building Sustainable Peace Conference, hosted by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame.

2019
The Art and Soul of Civil Leadership: Democracy that Delivers
Read Listen
presentation
The Art and Soul of Civil Leadership: Democracy that Delivers

A keynote address delivered at The Transformative Mosaic Conference, organized by Mediation Northern Ireland in 2011.

2011
The Art of Peace
Read Listen
podcast
The Art of Peace

A conversation with Krista Tippett exploring themes of the moral imagination, arts-inspired peacebuilding, and music and poetry in healing and reconciliation.

2010
The Ingredients of Social Courage
Read Listen
podcast
The Ingredients of Social Courage

A conversation with Krista Tippett and America Ferrera at the inaugural On Being Gathering, exploring the ingredients of social courage and how change really happens in generational time.

2018
John Paul Lederach Heals Social Wounds
Read
interview
John Paul Lederach Heals Social Wounds

An interview by Cameron Elliot for the magazine Dumbo Feather.

2019
more reflections