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September 28, 2006

Contact: Scott Silversten Phone: (718) 862-7232 E-mail: Public Relations

Manhattan College To Host Peace And Justice Studies Association Conference

PJSA dedicated to exploring alternatives to violence

Organization promotes piece within universities, colleges and K-12 grade levels

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Manhattan College will host the Peace and Justice Studies Association’s 2006 conference from October 5-8.  The conference will bring together educators, students, activists and other peace practitioners in an attempt to explore alternatives to violence and share visions and strategies for social justice and social change.

Founded in 2001, the Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) is a national organization of scholars, college faculty, students, activists and K-12 teachers interested in issues of peace and justice.  More than 300 people are expected to attend the four-day event, which has the theme “Who Speaks for the Common Good?”

The PJSA is a non-profit organization that was formed as the result of a merger between the Consortium of Peace Research, Education and Development (COPRED), and the Peace Studies Association (PSA).  Both organizations provided leadership in the broadly defined field of peace, conflict and justice studies.

“It seems a fitting time for Manhattan College to host the PJSA conference.  Manhattan College is one of the oldest peace studies programs in the country and offered its first peace studies course, Anatomy of Peace, 40 years ago,” said Margaret Groarke, assistant professor of government at Manhattan College and co-chair of the conference.

For more information about the conference, please contact Professor Groarke, at (718) 862-7943. More information about the Peace and Justice Studies Association can be found at www.peacejusticestudies.org.

The PJSA is dedicated to bringing together academics and grassroots activists to share visions and strategies for peacebuilding.  It also serves as a professional association for scholars in the field of peace and conflict studies.  The organization works to create a peaceful world through the promotion of peace studies within academic environments.

Highlights of this year’s conference include:

• The Opening Plenary: “The Role of Religion in Seeking the Common Good,” featuring an interfaith panel of speakers.

• Dr. Frances Fox Piven will speak about her forthcoming book, “Challenging Authority: How Ordinary People Change America.”

• The screening of an excerpt from “Marines Go Home,” the story of United States helicopter bases in Okinawa Japan, will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and Betty Reardon, founder of the Peace Education Center at Teachers College, Columbia University

• A panel on “Education for Common Good,” highlighting the importance of education and the education process in working toward common good. 

If you are a member of the press and wish to cover the conference, please call Scott Silversten at (718) 862-7232 or e-mail scott.silversten@manhattan.edu. 

Manhattan College is located at West 242nd Street near Broadway in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, one mile from the Westchester County line and accessible by MTA subway line 1.

Founded in 1853, Manhattan College is an independent, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher learning offering more than 40 major programs of undergraduate study in the areas of arts, business, education, engineering and science, along with graduate programs in education and engineering.  For more information about Manhattan College, visit www.manhattan.edu.