The Peace Corps community was represented at the launching of the United States' first ever National Peace Academy.
The three day summit, at Case Western Reserve University, was attended by 170 scholars, academicians, business representatives, government officials, researchers, and community leaders from around the nation and from 10 other countries. The purpose of the academy is to build a sustainable community of peace, with the help of experts ranging from leaders of local and community based conflict resolution organizations to academics specializing in global humanitarian issues.
Three RPCVs were in attendance at the summit. Pictured in the photo are Mike Abkin (left), who served in Nigeria and is on the Steering Committee of the Global Alliance for Ministries and Departments of Peace, and Dave O'Neill (right), who served in Sierra Leone and is currently with the United Nations Foundation. Missing from the photo is Jerry Saunders, who is the chair of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of California Berkley.
The Academy plans to be a resource and training center for educators, government agencies, and community groups, and, eventually, a full academic program offering undergraduate and graduate degrees.
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