The Planting of the Peace Tree
In 1983, the Peace Studies program planted a tree in front of Thomas Hall to honor the 25th Anniversary of Pope John XXIII's encyclical, Pacem in Terris. The plaque bore a quote from Pope John XXIII: "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 by freedom."
The original tree was removed in the fall of 2000 to make room for the entrance to the new library, and it was agreed that the new tree would have a central location on the Quad. During Peace Week 2001, the first week of April, this new tree was planted and dedicated to peace.
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."