A Panel of Practitioners and Life After Graduate School

The fourth, and final, panel of the day brought together a trio of conflict resolution practitioners from around the world with very different foci, different backgrounds, and different approaches but all who share a common commitment to peacebuilding. The three panelists included Robi Damelin from The Parents Circle (Bereaved Families Forum), a nonviolent activist who has been featured in multiple documentary films and travels the world spreading the message of peace and freedom for Palestine; Ms. Evelyn Thornton, the CEO of the Institute for Inclusive Security who also graduated from Georgetown's M.A. program in Conflict Resolution, and Dr. Sarah Hillyer, the HM King Abdullah II of Jordan Generations for Peace Research Post-Doctoral Fellow with the Conflict Resolution Program at Georgetown University. Damelin focused on the role of empathy in conflict resolution, seeing the humanity in "the other", and remaining authentic as an "outsider" in conflict zones. Thornton, on the other hand, who is a specialist on gender mainstreaming in conflict resolution, remarked on the evolution of the Insitute for Inclusive Security, the salience of accurate research to policymaking, and real-life challenges to expect in field work. Hillyer, who has a background in peace education and peacebuilding through sport, highlighted the opportunities available for engaging warring communities through the medium of sport and the game-changing work of Generations for Peace.

Dr. Craig Zelizer, Associate Director of the Conflict Resolution program, introduces the speakers

Ms. Evelyn Thornton reiterates the need to incorporate women in track I and track II peacebuilding approaches as well as the incredible loss of opportunity when women's voices are left out of the post-conflict reconstruction conversation

Robi Damelin reads out a letter her organization, The Parents Circle (which is comprised of Israeli and Palestinian family members who have lost children or loved ones to violence) wrote to the U.N. General Assembly about the historic vote on Palestinian statehood to be held on September 20, 2011

Robi Damelin and Dr. Sarah Hillyer exchange ideas and share experiences on the panel