Healing Dangerous Divides: Peacebuilding Around the Globe

Description: The talk will address the potential for the field of peacebuilding to address the dangerous rise of polarization in the U.S. and around the globe. If left unchecked these “us vs. them” dynamics can shred the social fabric, destroy trust in government and civil institutions, and ultimately fuel violent conflict. In her work in war torn countries around the globe, Olivia has witnessed the countervailing potential for people to awaken to the humanity of those they have “othered” or seen as the enemy, even in the aftermath of war and genocide. Using her work in Rwanda as a case example, Olivia will speak to what makes the bridging and healing of deep divides possible and how we might better cultivate the conditions where that can happen.

Location: The Hartsbrook School, Piening Hall, 193 Bay Road, Hadley, Massachusetts

There are multiple buildings on the Hartsbrook campus – Piening Hall is distinguished by its barrel style curved roof.

Please respond if you’re planning to attend: sojournerbranch.org@gmail.com

Bio: Olivia Stokes Dreier recently retired as Director of Karuna Center for Peacebuilding where for the past two decades she led programs to promote peacebuilding and reconciliation in over 20 countries deeply affected by violent conflict. She also directed the Conflict Transformation Across Cultures (CONTACT) Graduate Certificate Program at the SIT Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, Vermont. She remains involved in various Karuna Center projects as a Senior Peacebuilding Advisor and is a Senior Research Fellow with the Toda Peace Institute.

Olivia was a founding parent of the Hartsbrook School, an early board member, and in the Fall of 2021 rejoined the board. She has been a student of Anthroposophy since her early twenties.

The talk will address the potential for the field of peacebuilding to address the dangerous rise of polarization in the U.S. and around the globe. If left unchecked these “us vs. them” dynamics can shred the social fabric, destroy trust in government and civil institutions, and ultimately fuel violent conflict. In her work in war torn countries around the globe, Olivia has witnessed the countervailing potential for people to awaken to the humanity of those they have “othered” or seen as the enemy, even in the aftermath of war and genocide. Using her work in Rwanda as a case example, Olivia will speak to what makes the bridging and healing of deep divides possible and how we might better cultivate the conditions where that can happen.