Campus Ministry will host its annual International Peacemaker event and according to Interfaith Campus Minister Barbara Battin, the event is intended to promote worldly peacemaking through various guest speakers from around the globe.
“The International Peacemaker is a program that we do every year,” Battin said. “It is one that is through the Presbyterian Church U.S.A Peacemaking Program, and we have access to peacemakers that they bring through their International Peacemaker program and they bring 12 to 15 people from around the world who are engaged in peacemaking and peace building in their countries.”
Members who are chosen to speak have knowledge in certain areas and hope to share their wisdom in order to give listeners a better understanding on the subject, in order to promote unity and peace.
“The definition of peacemaking and peace building is very wide. It could be environmental justice, it could be working with women and children, it could be active engagement in conflict resolution and transformation,” Battin said. “So it’s a very broad sense that we build peace along the way, and we do it in day-to-day relationships as well as political associations, and we learn the skills of peacemaking and peace building in our local communities.”
This year’s International Peacemaker is Nicole Ashwood, who is from Jamaica. She will focus on gender justice, racial equality and human trafficking.
“[She] works from a Christian perspective with respect and concern for all people,” Battin said. “She’s also had some time in Switzerland with the World Council of Churches, so she has a very broad experience in the world.”
Battin said the event will be presented as a Sinclair Talks, followed by a 20 to 30 minute Q and A session, then lunch with Ashwood.
Battin said she has lunch tickets available, which will enable students to possibly get their lunches for free. She said students can claim these on a first come-first serve basis.
Students may also buy or bring their own lunch.
In addition, Battin said Ashwood will be speaking in some religious studies classes and in the community during her time in Dayton as well.
“[She’s going to use] her over-arching metaphor or umbrella metaphor, the welcome table, because in Christian tradition and Jewish tradition and Muslim tradition … [they] talk about a table that is open. So the welcome table is an image that encourages … sharing food, sharing life and that needs to be an open table — everybody’s welcome,” Battin said. “We promote justice in the peacemaking, peace building, … being concerned for everybody and working for justice and compassion for everybody. Then she’ll focus on the [issues] of gender justice, racial equality and human trafficking.”
The event will take place on Oct. 15, starting at noon in the Library Loggia. The Q and A will take place at the same location. However, the lunch will take place in Building 7, Room 006A afterward.
“The Presbyterian Church brings people to educate us, to help us grow in our skills,” Battin said. “Sometimes in this country, we think we have all the answers and these people come because they are experienced in peacemaking and peace building in other cultures and have something to share with us in the United States.”