On this episode of SHECP Talks, Kailee Brickner-McDonald, Director of the Middlebury’s Center for Community Engagement, and Sarah Stroup, Professor of Political Science and the director of Middlebury’s Davis Collaborative in Conflict Transformation, joined us to talk about the work happening at the Davis Collaborative and, more broadly, about their vision to “to embed principles and practices of conflict transformation in the liberal arts from high school to graduate school.”
“I think some students think that conflict is a failure, or that it’s a stopping place… while it has the capacity to be destructive and harmful, it is not” says Brickner-McDonald while discussing the role that conflict plays in the professional and personal lives of students every day. The Davis Collaborative offers opportunities to prepare students for high conflict internships in the community and equip them for life beyond.
Professor Stroup discusses her course – "New Understanding of Conflict"where she introduces some of the tools available for approaching conflict. One such tool pertains to setting collective goals as a way to work together across varied viewpoints. “Loretta Ross talks about the difference between a cult and a social movement. A social movement is where people across different values share a goal and collaborate. A cult is where everyone thinks the same thing” says Stroup.”
For more information about topics discussed in the podcast:
Projects for Peace – "a global program that partners with educational institutions to identify and support young peacebuilders... [that annually] grant[s] $1.25 million to student leaders who are developing innovative, community-centered, and scalable responses to the world’s most pressing issues"
"Conflict Transformation Skills" course taught by Professor Stroup
Elise Loehnen's interview with activist and academic Loretta Ross – During our conversation, Professor Stroup references Loretta Ross's work on "Calling In" culture and, specifically, her quote, "A group of people thinking the same thing and moving in the same direction is a cult. A group of people thinking different things and moving in the same direction is a movement.”
SHECP's work on Conflict Transformation is made possible by the Middlebury Conflict Transformation Collaborative. Middlebury College has “made a commitment to serve as an incubator for research, teaching, and student experiences to address divisiveness in society.”
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