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History of Manhattan College's Peace Studies Program
Blessed are the peacemakers |
A legacy of peace in turbulent times
The Manhattan College community mourned the passing of
Professor Thomas T. Stonier, distinguished biologist and humanist, who
died on June 15, 1999. Dr. Stonier's legacy-the Pacem in Terris Institute and subsequent Peace Studies Program he co-founded with
professors Cahill, Christen, Fahey, Heller, Taylor, et al. will
continue to thrive in his memory. The inspiration for both the
Institute and program came from Pope John XXIII's encyclical, Pacem
in Terris (Peace on Earth). The letter, addressed to "all
men of good will," was written in response to the Cuban missile crisis
in 1962 when the world came perilously close to nuclear annihilation. Pacem
in Terris was an appeal for man to work for the abolishment of
nuclear weapons and the creation of a global "public authority" to
secure peace for the planet.
In the beginning...
In February 1965, Professors Stonier and Christen returned
from a three-day Pacem in Terris symposium in New York City
aflame with the spirit of Pope John's call for education for peace.
They immediately formed the Pacem in Terris Ad Hoc Committee
and, by May 1965, founded the Pacem in Terris Institute at
Manhattan College. Although there may have been some trepidation within
the College community of there being a course of study focusing solely
on peace, the members of the committee forged ahead with their plans.
Within a year, the first interdisciplinary course, "The Anatomy of
Peace," was developed and taught conjointly by Dr. Robert Christian,
history department; Dr. Stonier, biology department; Dr. Peter Heller,
government; and Dr. James Cahill, economics department. It would become
the cornerstone upon which the Peace Studies degree program would be
built.
The Institute's Inaugural Convocation, dedicated to "Education
for Peace," was held on April 14-15, 1967. U Thant, secretary general
of the United Nations, addressed the nearly 300 educators and leaders
of civil and social organizations. The Convocation was ecumenical and
interdisciplinary, with a program "designed by teachers for teachers"
that included 26 workshops on various aspects of war and peace. It was
a resounding success. Their efforts did not go unnoticed, as
Manhattan's Pacem in Terris Institute received coverage in the New York Times and was featured on the front page of the Vatican's
official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. In addition, the
members of the Institute received a message that the "Holy Father
encourages efforts for education for peace" and "invokes on all
participants rich heavenly graces and blessings."
A major development
Within five years of the Pacem in Terris symposium in
New York City, the Institute had received international recognition and
hosted the first meeting anywhere of Soviet and US scholars on issues
of peace and war in the spring of 1970. At the time this historical
meeting was taking place, the Peace Studies Program as an undergraduate
major was being developed, with Professor Stonier as the first program
director. Manhattan is the first Catholic college in the nation to
develop an academic program on the study of peace.
From the beginning, Professor Stonier insisted that academic
rigor and objectivity characterize the Peace Studies Program. Michael
McFadden, a student at the College, approached Professor Stonier about
obtaining a degree in peace studies and assisted the director in
developing a more extensive curriculum. McFadden corresponded with
other institutions and assembled an impressive list of schools that had
been offering courses in peace, proving the subject to be academically
respectable.
Next, McFadden identified existing courses in the Manhattan
College catalog as appropriate for inclusion in the peace studies
curriculum. Once again, the extensive list he developed meant that the
proposed program could be established immediately.
Michael McFadden's contribution initiated the unique tradition
of students' active participation in the foundation and expansion of
the Peace Studies Program. Their role would reflect the spirit of the
curriculum which allowed students not only to examine social problems
but also to seek solutions-and this spirit would define the program
itself.
Fahey takes charge
By the fall of 1974, Dr. Joseph Fahey assumed the directorship
of the Peace Studies Program. Fahey devoted the next twenty-plus years
to expanding the academic program internally and increasing its
exposure externally. He also had to confront the fading interest in
peace studies with the end of the Vietnam War and refocus the program's
direction towards social justice issues.
The first order of business was to establish a curriculum
evaluation system which would also serve to provide a more accurate
description of the program. Although social activism was encouraged,
Fahey, like Stonier, believed that academic excellence was of the
utmost importance in gaining respect for the program and ensuring its
success. The curriculum had continuously expanded and now included
courses in economics, history, literature, managerial science,
religious studies and sociology.
By 1985, five strategic areas for examination evolved from the
program: arms races and wars; economic, political and social justice;
conflict resolution, management and creation; nonviolent philosophies
and strategies of resistance; and world community and world government.
Fahey worked tirelessly to promote the Peace Studies Program
both on and off campus. In addition to speaking engagements, a brochure
was developed as well as The Journal of Peace Studies. And once
again, students did their part in reaching this goal. While one of the
Peace students was a staff writer for the student newspaper, The
Quadrangle, another served as editor of the Jasper Journal.
Fahey also enlisted students to help promote the program and its
special events such as the annual dinner and lectures.
"Serving the Peace Studies students, faculty and alumni has
been the highlight of my career," said Fahey. "Although
interdisciplinary studies is now widely accepted, it was not in the
early days. That was the genius of the program and Manhattan College
has helped to establish Peace Studies around the world on a strong
academic foundation."
On April 11, 1983, the Manhattan College community dedicated a
"peace" tree, planted in front of Thomas Hall, to commemorate the
twentieth anniversary of the Pacem in Terris encyclical. A
plaque was unveiled during the ceremony that read:
Peace will be but an empty-sounding word unless it is
founded on truth, built according to justice, vivified and integrated
by love, and put into practice in freedom. Pope John XXIII Pacem in
Terris
Peace Studies Program today
This past year, Manhattan College welcomed Margaret Groarke as
the new director of the Peace Studies Program.
Ms. Groarke has taught American politics for seven years at
the City University of New York. Her research and writing has included
political participation, social movements and congressional politics.
An issue of particular concern for her has been voter registration, and
the inequalities of participation by race, class and education.
Ms. Groarke graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Social
Studies from Harvard-Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As
a doctoral candidate in political science at the City University of New
York, she was recipient of the Robert Gilleece Fellowship, the Helena
Rubinstein Tuition Fellowship and the Belle Zeller Scholarship.
"The end of the Cold War offers new opportunities for Peace
Studies," Ms. Groarke said recently. "International conflicts continue,
but with a greater number of power centers, a greater number of
potential nuclear powers, and a greater incidence of brutal conflict
inflamed with ethnic, nationalist or religious hatreds. Peace Studies
also needs to participate in the conversation in this country about
violence in our own societyCschool shootings, the burnings of churches,
road rage, etc."
Ms. Groarke is working to increase awareness of the diverse
career opportunities for Peace Studies majors. In addition to the
College's open house events, she hopes to expand the program's website
and produce an informational brochure for prospective students. She is
anxious to develop a network for students of the program to participate
in internships, and later apply their passion and skills to a career in
which they may contribute towards the advancement of peace.
While a small number of students major or minor in Peace
Studies, Ms. Groarke hopes to reach the entire College community with
occasional speakers and events, and also with the annual Peace Week,
which will be held this year during the week of March 26th. "The idea
is to get everyone, whatever his or her major, vocation, career or
interest, to participate in building a more peaceful society."
In the future
In January 1997, the orders came for the 101st Airborne Division to ship out to Bosnia-Hercegovina as part of the SFOR
(Stabilization Force). Jason Arikian '00, a member of the intelligence
unit, will never forget the destruction and human suffering he
witnessed during his tour. The gruesome scenes he was subjected to
spurred his desire to expand the peacekeeping work he started in the
military. He knew that a career in peacekeeping would be "the most
satisfying work" he could ever do. Jason resolved to return to college
and complete his degree. This time he wanted to focus on international
relations.
Although he found that most colleges offered an international
relations program, he chose Manhattan College because of the Peace
Studies Program. Jason, who plans to study human rights
law after graduation, says of the Peace Studies Program, "It has
enabled me to put focus and direction behind my desire to further the
cause of peace and diplomacy on an international level."
from Manhattan College Magazine
