Envision Peace Museum

Amy Goodman with Johan Galtung, founder of the field of Peace Studies

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:20:59 +0000

On April 23, Philadelphia will have the honor of hosting Johan Galtung, the principal founder of the field of Peace and Conflict Transformation studies and Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now for conversation about some of the most pressing issues of our times.

Location: Friends Center – 1515 Cherry Street, Philadelphia PA, 19102

2pm – 5pm Workshop
What would a sane foreign policy look like? This workshop on conflict analysis and peace building will draw on Galtung’s TRANSCEND methodology while focusing on 15 different conflicts. Register now for this limited space event by emailing info@envisionpeacemuseum.org Cost is sliding scale ($20-$50); no one turned away for lack of funds.

5pm – 6:00pm Reception: Join us for refreshments and frank conversation.

6pm – 7:30pm Conversation between Johan Galtung and Amy Goodman
What are the connections between peace, justice, and economics? What role do movements like Occupy play in building democracy and constraining empire? What are the prospects for peace at home and abroad? This lecture is free and open to the public.
Register on the facebook event page: http://tinyurl.com/7sd23do

7:30 -8:30pm Book Signing for Galtung’s new book, Reconciliation.
Professor Galtung will be joined by his co-author, Diane Perlman, PhD. Many of Galtung’s books will be available for purchase and signing.

Johan Galtung
Johan Galtung is a Norwegian mathematician and sociologist and the principal founder of the field of Peace and Conflict Transformation research. Galtung is a prolific researcher and has published more than 1000 articles and over 100 books
and mediated conflicts around the world. Economist and fellow peace researcher Kenneth Boulding said of Galtung that his
“output is so large and so varied that it is hard to believe that it comes from a human”. He was awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize
in 1987, and has received many other accolades.

Amy Goodman
As host of the only national radio/TV news show free of all corporate underwriting, Amy Goodman is able to present a range of independent voices not often heard on the airwaves. “Dissent,” she explains, “is what makes this country healthy.” On October 1, 2008, Goodman was named as a recipient of the 2008 Right Livelihood Award, The Right Livelihood Award Foundation cited her work in “developing an innovative model of truly independent grassroots political journalism that brings to millions of people the alternative voices that are often excluded by the mainstream media.”

Thought Leader Erica Chenoweth, PhD

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:32:39 +0000

Sometimes, curiosity leads to an entirely different life path, as Erica Chenoweth, PhD, discovered toward the end of graduate school. A scholar of violent conflict, she attended a workshop on nonviolent conflict at Colorado College as a skeptic, agreeing to participate in research she believed would support her viewpoint.

Instead, she discovered that nonviolent movements from 1900 through 2006 were more than twice as effective as violent insurgencies in accomplishing their objectives. “That was pretty shocking to me because I was coming from a totally different background. Now, that’s what I’m most excited about in my research – sharing that finding with pretty much anybody who will listen, in the hopes that it might change their minds about the best way to pursue what they want,” says Chenoweth, today an internationally- recognized authority on terrorism, counterterrorism, and nonviolent resistance.

Assistant Professor of Government at Wesleyan University and the author of three books including “Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict,” Chenoweth believes that the Envision Peace Museum (EPM) can fill a critical void by demonstrating the long-term effectiveness of nonviolent campaigns in producing healthy societies.

“Even when violent campaigns win, they…end up institutionalizing a norm that says that in order to get what you want…you kill people, or torture them, or terrorize them, and most societies don’t end up emerging from that kind of a foundation without a pretty rocky road,” she says. “If you win by the sword, you’re going to rule by the sword. [Conversely], the experience of civil resistance often creates a sense of responsibility, responsiveness, and engagement in a way that violent resistance cannot.”

To a greater extent than their counterparts, nonviolent campaigns rely on the support of thousands of people with a clear consensus to succeed in their mission. Chenoweth says the recent Occupy Wall Street suffers from a lack of agreement that dilutes its effectiveness, with “half the country thinking the real culprit was over-regulation and high taxes, and the other half of the country thinking it was crazy over-spending, and corruption.” In contrast, the Ogoni tribe in Nigeria was successful in curtailing the use of its land for oil drilling, “because of almost universal support from its people,” she says.

Chenoweth’s vision for Envision Peace Museum would be a place where people with very difference experiences, agendas and viewpoints could come together to share the lessons they’ve learned with each other in a public way. These people would find empowerment in learning that “in some of the worst places in on earth, more people choose nonviolent resistance than violence to change what they see as intolerable circumstances. Whether you share with the Envision Peace Museum, which has traveling exhibits…or you have some sort of educational positions, like…fellowships or the person in-residence who will organize events and bring people together to educate the public and others – any of these would be really huge contributions.”

Thank you to our communication subcommittee members- Erica Woods for conducting the interviewing and Claudia Stahl for writing this article.

Helen Caldicott, MD – 4th Annual Haas Award for International Peace & Social Justice

admin — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:32:09 +0000

On March 29, 2012, Helen Caldicott, MD was honored with the 4th Annual Haas Award for International Peace & Social Justice, in recognition of her lifetime dedication to creating a world free of the threat of nuclear weapons.

The Envision Peace Museum co-sponsored the 2012 Awards Ceremony at the WHYY studios, commemorating the occasion with an interactive demonstration. Participants were invited to make their own photos, forming the flag semaphore letters N (for nuclear) and D (for disarmament) – the origins of the familiar Peace Symbol.

Watch the slide show below to see a selection of these images from the event.

Flag Semaphore Origins of the Peace Symbol

NUCLEAR SKIES: A Vision for a Nuclear-Free World

Stephen — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 05:08:27 +0000

Thursday, March 29, 2012 at the WHYY-TV studios in downtown Philadelphia, Envision Peace Museum Advisory Board Member Helen Caldicott, MD, will be honored for her lifetime dedication to creating a world free of the threat of nuclear weapons. Her tireless education around the globe, her aggressive advocacy and her practice of reminding us of the deleterious health effects of a nuclear explosion have been an inspiration to us all. Dr Caldicott, a pediatrician, is the former president of Physicians for Social Responsibility, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, together with the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

Dr. Caldicott will be joined in dialogue by Trudy Rubin, foreign affairs columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where both will contribute to an energized discussion concerning “A Vision for a Nuclear-Free World” and what will it take to end conflict and insure peace and security around the globe in our lifetime and for generations to come.

The First Annual Eisendrath Award for Youth Advocacy in Nuclear Disarmament will be presented in honor of Craig Eisendrath, PhD, co-founder and chairman of Project for Nuclear Awareness, to a person between the age of 18 – 29 who has exhibited a commitment to achieving a peaceful world, free from the threat of nuclear weapons. Beginning at 4:30PM at WHYY-TV, Helen will first hold a meeting with student attenders, who will play a key role in helping to demonstrate the issue of nuclear threats with her. We welcome your organization in sponsoring students, at a special rate, to attend and join this collaboration– check the link to register.

This program is presented by Project for Nuclear Awareness and Physicians for Social Responsibility, who share a commitment to a peaceful, nuclear weapons free world. We have a unique opportunity to promote alternatives to violence both in our local and global communities. This event will feature the Envision Peace Museum as well, co-sponsoring along with the Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy. Please check links to these excellent partners.

Dr. Caldicott will host a private reception for students at 5pm and the event will be from 5:30 to 8:30pm with dialogue, discussion, award ceremonies and dinner.

Honor Helen Caldicott and our Youth Advocates on March 29 at WHYY-TV. Sign up today.

WHYY Radio: Voices In The Family – 9/12/11 Peacebuilders – Peace Day

Stephen — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 02:59:44 +0000

Envision Peace Museum’s Executive Director, Michael Gagne joined with other community members to lift up a voice for active and responsible peace…

Globally, millions will observe the 30th annual International Day of Peace, September 21. Locally, activities will inspire and challenge us to become more mindful of cultivating benevolence. Peace Day was established through a United Nations resolution in 1981. Three decades later, it is a shared date for the creation of practical acts of peace. It’s also a day set aside for global cease-fire.

On the Voices in the Family with Dr. Dan Gottlieb, we ask: what is peace? What can grassroots peacebuilding look like locally? And what will you do to make peace on September 21? Dan’s guests include: Jeremy Gilley, Michael Gagne, Kathryn Getek Soltis, and Sharon Katz.

Jeremy Gilley is a documentary filmmaker and founder and chairman of Peace One Day.

Michael Gagne is executive director of the Envision Peace Museum.

Kathryn Getek Soltis is director of the Center for Peace and Justice Education at Villanova University.

Sharon Katz is a musician and activist from South Africa who performs with the band Sharon Katz and The Peace Train.

Haley Waugh Joins The Envision Peace Museum Community

Stephen — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 02:47:17 +0000

Haley Waugh

Envision Peace museum is lucky to have Haley Waugh, current Museum Communications Graduate Student at University of the Arts, joining in its efforts. Haley comes with experiences in museums from her time spent as Educational Assistant at the American Swedish Historical Museum and at The Clark during undergraduate studies. Additionally, Haley holds a certificate in Non-Profit Leadership Development from Cambridge College. Envision welcomes Haley and looks forward to a shared future of peace and transformation together.

Interview with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:46:07 +0000

On Friday, May 28th, 2010 Director Michael Gagné interviewed the Mayor of Philadelphia, Michael A. Nutter. In the course of the filmed interview (clips coming soon), Mayor Nutter expressed his enthusiasm about the Envision project and his belief that a museum of peace and justice could yield many practical benefits to the city and its residents.

Strategic Planning Conference

Michael — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:01:46 +0000

Envision Peace Museum is in a strategic planning phase, charting its course of development for its coming years. Soliciting input from the Museum’s future audience – thought leaders, potential partners, and targeted user groups is an essential part of the planning process.

On June 4th and 5th, 2010, nearly one hundred people gathered at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia to participate in a Strategic Planning Conference hosted by and for the benefit of Envision.

Individuals representing a broad base of constituents including youth, educators and academics, activists and veterans, communities of faith and potential partner organizations, designers and museum professionals, artists and performers, foundations and local government participated.

This consultative and collaborative process, facilitated by Andy Mozenter of Concentrics Inc., has helped Envision recognize the real needs and opportunities in Philadelphia and beyond. Check back for images, reviews, and a summary of the event.

Howard Zinn, International Advisory Board Member

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:05:46 +0000

We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Howard Zinn, the first distinguished peace leader to add his name to Envision’s International Advisory Board. An author, teacher, and political activist, Zinn is best-known for A People’s History of the United States, a brilliant alternative to mainstream history texts. Zinn’s legacy is far-reaching. He has inspired civil rights organizers and activists, as well as prominent authors and performers including Alice Walker and Bruce Springsteen. Howard Zinn’s status as the first member of Envision’s International Advisory Board sets a high standard. The Envision Community will miss his wisdom, inspiration, and support.

Michael Gagné Appointed Director

admin — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:05:31 +0000

In May, 2009, the Board of Envision Peace Museum announced with great pleasure the appointment of Michael Yves Gagné as the Museum’s first Director. Michael comes with a background in community organizing. A skilled trainer, project leader, and manager, Michael brings demonstrated strengths in strategic planning, coalition-building, communications, and fundraising. His past involvements include periods with Green Corps, Corporate Accountability International, and the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters. Among his many accomplishments, he was profiled as a “Green Hero” on Canada’s national television network, CBC. Look for Michael to make a strong imprint, as the Museum takes shape.