St. Mary’s University has received $2,000 in funding support from the Public Education for Peacebuilding Support initiative of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). The support will enable St. Mary’s to host renowned international mediator Pádraig Ó Tuama for several events on campus.

Ó Tuama is a renowned poet, group facilitator, theologian and mediator. He speaks, writes and facilitates conversations on mediative dialogue, diversity in religious texts, LGBT lives and stories, communication, storytelling and the role of arts in public life. He specializes in helping groups speak to and about one another — especially when those words are difficult.

“USIP is pleased to support organizations like St. Mary’s and their contribution to the national conversation around international conflict — and methods for resolving those conflicts nonviolently,” said USIP President Jim Marshall.

Ó Tuama will be the keynote speaker for this year’s Global Human Security Lecture Series, reflecting on conflict and peace in Northern Ireland. He also will have a poetry reading with St. Mary’s visiting lecturer Cyra Dumitru and host two poetry workshops with students.

What: Poetry as a Pathway to Peace – A Public Poetry Reading by Pádraig Ó Tuama and Cyra Dumitru
When: Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013; 6:30 p.m.
Where: Assumption Chapel
Notes: Light refreshments will be served.

What: Global Human Security Lecture: “Sorry for Your Troubles” – Reflections on Conflict and Peace in Northern Ireland
When: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013; 6:30 p.m.
Where: Guadalupe Chapel

USIP is the independent, nonpartisan conflict management center created by Congress to prevent and mitigate international conflict without resorting to violence. It works to save lives, increase the government’s ability to deal with conflicts before they escalate, reduce government costs and enhance national security. USIP is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in Baghdad and Kabul, Afghanistan.

As part of its congressional mandate, USIP devotes a portion of its budget to support organizations that will advance the field of conflict management by developing new techniques, establishing best practices, and professionalizing the field through education and training. The Public Education for Peacebuilding Support is a program of USIP administered by the Institute of International Education.

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