John Paul Lederach with Host Serena Bian
The Art of Peacebuilding: Haiku, Accompaniment, and Courageous Love
A thousand dew drops
Bubbling on clover leaves
Glisten morning sun
—John Paul Lederach
Join Host Serena Bian and international peacebuilder John Paul Lederach in exploring questions about how—in a world filled with animosity—we can help things “glisten.” The conversation explores ways to accompany communities to bring forward their deepest sense of their nature and purpose, as well as the “glowing” aspect of what can be fully lived into. John Paul draws from decades of experience working in settings inflicted with profound, multi-generational conflict. Alongside haiku and poetry, we will take a playful approach towards the inner and external transformation that allows people to choose courageous love amidst suffering and division | Artwork: “Path to Peace” Wall
John Paul Lederach
Dr. John Paul Lederach is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking work in the fields of peacebuilding and conflict transformation. He is widely known for the development of culturally based approaches to conflict transformation; the design and implementation of integrative, strategic approaches to peacebuilding; and for carving a robust integration of the arts and social change. Over the course of his career, Lederach has garnered extensive experience working with non-governmental organizations, community-based initiatives impacted by cycles of violence, and national peace process design. He has worked extensively as a practitioner in conciliation processes in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast and Central Asia. He is the author or editor of 30 books and manuals (translated into a dozen languages), and numerous academic articles and monographs on peace education, conflict transformation, international peacebuilding, and conciliation training. He currently serves as Senior Fellow for Humanity United and Professor Emeritus of International Peacebuilding at the Joan B. Kroc Institute of International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
Host Serena Bian
Serena is pursuing a life that remains attentive to the tenderness of a snail’s soft body and reverent to the miracle of its spiraled shell. She is a Chinese-American peacebuilder, storyteller, and community weaver devoted to the belief that intergenerational connection is vital for the future of our peace and justice movements. She recently completed six years as a Special Advisor in Design & Innovation to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, bringing a spiritual and systemic understanding to the public health crisis of loneliness and isolation. She is a Zen chaplain-in-training and serves on the boards of CoGenerate and Commonweal.
