inner works

Dominant peacebuilding preparation and practice focus on professional development and skill-oriented training and analysis. Much less attention is provided to the inner side of the practice – the cultivation of healthy personhood, the nurturing of care for self, the practices and habits that sustain and nourish wells of compassion, joy, and healing. These practices are what John Paul has come to call the 'inner works' of peacebuilding. Inner works create the spaces where people can explore and be in touch with their own sense of vocation and purpose, however that may look or feel for each person. This section follows the pathways and expressions of the inner works of peacebuilding from John Paul's experience and learning with colleagues in situations of protracted conflict around the world.

presentation

Compassion and Integrity in an Age of Fragmentation

A speech delivered at Hesston College's 2016 Homecoming celebration sharing stories from personal and professional experiences illuminating the transformative power of compassion and integrity in embodied presence.

2016

presentation

Remembering Forward: The Visionary Practical Scholarship of Adam Curle

A keynote delivered at the for the 40th anniversary of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, honoring scholar and practitioner Adam Curle.

2014

presentation

Thoughts on a Penny: Challenges to Creative Conflict in the Public Square

A lecture presented for the 26th Annual Lynch Lecture at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

2015

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

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