“While many in the world of U.S. community colleges innovate, few have led in international innovation, and fewer still in international innovations that directly contribute to peace. David Smith has been a leader in this arena, recognizing the realities as well as the potential of community colleges and their programmatic adaptability for this critical application. Peacebuilding in Community Colleges is at once practical and visionary, urging the community college beyond its local mission toward global impact by displaying approaches for making a direct and literal difference in the world. Unquestionably, a useful text for campus internationalization.”
—Paul McVeigh, associate vice president, Global Studies and Programs, Northern Virginia Community College

“Peacebuilding in Community Colleges is a groundbreaking volume that skillfully unites the voices of experts and emerging peacebuilding practitioners in redefining the role of education and positioning educational policy and practice at the core of peacebuilding and conflict resolution efforts. Animating peace theory with authentic and practical examples from a broad cross-country range of U.S. community colleges, Smith and the contributing authors highlight the importance of innovative curricular approaches in affirming the interconnectedness of local and global experiences and narratives, and in fostering peace-driven social activism. This 17-chapter volume is a major contribution to the peace education discourse and a very rich resource for any academic program or institution interested in initiating curricular transformation to empower students and faculty to develop the dispositions, skills, and commitments necessary to further the enduring quest for peace.”
—Elavie Ndura, professor of Education and academic program coordinator of the Multilingual/Multicultural Education program, George Mason University

“This volume conveys not only practical guidance and models for those interested in creating a place for peace studies in the community college curriculum. It also shows how courses and programs focused on peacebuilding connect students, institutions, and communities to what is happening in the rest of the world in meaningful ways. Beyond its intention to offer specific examples of curriculum development and creative pedagogy to community colleges, it shines a wider light on using peace studies as a way to effectively bring global studies to students through substantive issues.”
—Patti McGill Peterson, presidential advisor, Internationalization and Global Engagement, American Council on Education

“Smith and the impressive group of assembled contributors make a persuasive case that community colleges can serve as frontline academic institutions in the development of globally focused peace and conflict studies programs. Each chapter tells a compelling story with practical lessons for program developers, faculty, and students of peace and conflict studies. Throughout the book one finds insightful responses to program challenges, enhanced collaborative teaching methods, powerful descriptions of experiential learning programs, and the enriched use of technology in delivering courses that engage students in new ways.”
—Brian Polkinghorn, distinguished professor and executive director, Center for Conflict Resolution, Salisbury University

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Questions and Answers with David J. Smith

Latest Publications

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

By: Mary Glantz, Ph.D.;  Gavin Helf, Ph.D.;  Asfandyar Mir, Ph.D.;  Andrew Watkins

On Friday, terrorists attacked the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow leaving 140 people dead and 80 others critically wounded. Soon after, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorist group, which is headquartered in Iraq and Syria, has several branches, including in South and Central Asia. Press reports suggest the U.S. government believes the Afghanistan-based affiliate of the Islamic State, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), was behind the attack. The Biden administration has publicly noted that it had warned the Russian government of the terrorism threat in early March in line with the procedure of “Duty to Warn.”

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

What Does the U.N. Cease-Fire Resolution Mean for the Israel-Gaza War?

What Does the U.N. Cease-Fire Resolution Mean for the Israel-Gaza War?

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

By: Robert Barron

On March 25, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed Resolution 2728, calling for an “immediate” cease-fire in Gaza. The motion’s passage came after weeks of back and forth and posturing among the UNSC’s permanent and rotating members. The exact phrasing of the resolution and its relevance to the situation on the ground, as well as bilateral and multilateral relations — particularly U.S.-Israel ties — have been the subject of heavy public and media attention since Monday, raising questions about the resolution’s subtext, intent and limitations. USIP’s Robert Barron looks at these questions.

Type: Question and Answer

Global PolicyPeace Processes

Angela Stent on the Terror Attack in Moscow

Angela Stent on the Terror Attack in Moscow

Monday, March 25, 2024

By: Angela Stent

While ISIS has claimed responsibility for the devastating terror attack in Moscow, Putin has baselessly tried to shift the blame to Ukraine, says USIP’s Angela Stent: “[Putin] wants to use this to increase repression at home … and also to pursue a more aggressive path in Ukraine.”

Type: Podcast

What’s Driving India-China Tensions?

What’s Driving India-China Tensions?

Monday, March 25, 2024

By: Dean Cheng;  Sameer P. Lalwani, Ph.D.;  Daniel Markey, Ph.D.;  Nilanthi Samaranayake

Since deadly clashes between India and China on their 2,100-mile disputed border — known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) — nearly four years ago, the two countries have remained in a standoff and amassed an increasing number of troops on either side of the LAC. While India and China have held regular exchanges at the corps commander level since 2020, each side has also continued to militarize and invest in infrastructure in the high-altitude border regions, which may exacerbate risks of clashes or escalation. India-China competition has also deepened beyond the land border, particularly in the Indian Ocean region.

Type: Question and Answer

Global Policy

Three Conditions for Successful Engagement with North Korea

Three Conditions for Successful Engagement with North Korea

Monday, March 25, 2024

By: Mark Tokola

The September 13, 2023, meeting between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un in Russia’s Amur Oblast marked a significant crippling of the decades-long U.S. pressure-based approach toward North Korea. The strategy of isolating and pressuring North Korea through United Nations Security Council resolutions to compel its nuclear disarmament in exchange for providing normalized relations, economic aid and sanctions relief may or may not ever have been a winning strategy, but now is no longer viable. The strategy required cooperation among the United States, South Korea, China and Russia, but this now seems a distant prospect.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

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