April 16, 2005
Stephen Rowe, Ph.D.

Author and Professor of Philosophy at Grand Valley State University, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dr. Rowe will speak on the current imperative for living in dialogue. Dr. Rowe is the author of several books, including Living Philosophy, Remaining Awake and Moving Toward Maturity in Complicated Times, Rediscovering the West, an Inquiry into Nothingness and Relatedness, and Leaving and Returning: On America's Contribution to a World Ethic. He has also recently collaborated with Peimin Ni on Wandering, philosophical verse in dialogue with classical Chinese calligraphy.

Jacob Needleman's praise for Of Rediscovering the West includes: “There are countless books dealing with a critique of Western culture in the light of spiritual ideas, but very few things in the Zen perspective with such sophistication and acuteness while remaining faithful to the West.”

May 21, 2005
Peggy Gish,

Peggy Gish, author of Iraq,a Journey of Hope and Peace, is the Iraq team coordinator for Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), an ecumenical violence-reduction program with roots in the historic peace churches. Teams of trained peace workers live in areas of lethal conflict around the world. CPT has been present in Iraq since October, 2002. Peggy has recently worked with the fledgling Muslim Peacemaking Team (MPT) in Kerbala, helping the group to establish goals and bylaws and plan for nonviolence training for students and staff at the Al Uhl Beit University in Kerbala. One long range goal noted was to spread MPT throughout Iraq and even beyond to other areas of the world.

June 18, 2005
Dr. Herb Perkins

Dr. Herb Perkins, Director of Theological Exploration of Vocation at Hamline University, St. Paul Minnosota, is a specialist in racial and ethnic relations, and conducts workshops in racial reconciliation. Dr. Perkins facilitated an outstanding interactive workshop, , during our 2003 session (enthused participants kept him through dinner and into the evening!). He provided profound insights with regard to interracial and intercultural bias, and discussed fundamental elements of antiracism workshop curriculums. Dr. Perkins will return for a workshop on the practice of the transformative work of antiracism.

July 16, 2005
Nancy Falk

Nancy Falk, Professor of Comparative Religions at Western Michigan University, will speak on “Women's Dilemma in Religion.” Dr Falk has written several books and has edited several others over the course of many years while at WMU. A long time friend of Mothers Trust, Nancy has participated in a number of faith and interfaith programs here, over the last several decades.

August 19, 2005
Duane Ediger

Duane Ediger of Christian Peacemaker Teams has worked extensively in Colombia. The evolution of armed conflict in Colombia over the last half century has deepened the social neglect and forms of exclusion that helped to spawn it. Civilian
attempts to build a healthy society face long odds and sometimes daily threats. Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is one of a number of international organizations offering accompaniment and nonviolent intervention to improve those odds by directly addressing the threats. After facilitating the return and establishment of displaced rural civilian communities, CPT’s ongoing accompaniment has sought to open spaces for those civilians to shape their destiny even as opposing armed groups vie for control of the region and its resources.

September 17, 2005
Master Kim & Jennifer Kim

We will join Master Kim and his wife Jennifer, and the International Association for World Peace (The Peace School) for Peace Day in Chicago. The Peace Day observance provides an opportunity for a shared, deliberate and mindful focus on peace for all humanity and for all life. Peace Day provides a time to reach beyond our resistance to war, crime, violence and discrimination, and to join our energies and our voices together for peace “throughout our precious planet.” The celebration includes speakers and cultural performances. Aspirations are voiced for peace in each of the countries of the world by name.

October 15, 2005
Deepak Malhotra

Deepak teaches Negotiation in the MBA program and in a variety of Executive programs at the Harvard Business School. He will share insights from his recent research projects dealing with issues related to international and ethnopolitical conflict. His current research deals with issues of interpersonal trust, reciprocity, negotiation, and the escalation of conflict. Current projects include: “The Effects of "Peace Camps" and Conflict Management Workshops on Attitudes and Behaviors”; “What Others Think Matters: a Study of Israeli and Palestinian Attitudes Towards the Geneva Accords”; “Dynamics of Non-cooperation Among Jewish and Arab Youth: Dislike or Distrust?”; and “The Militancy Paradox: How Militant Extremism Makes Peace Negotiations Possible and Improbable”

November 19, 2005
Dr. Herb Perkins

Dr. Perkins, director of Theological Exploration of Vocation at Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnosota, has taught graduate classes in racial and ethnic relations and conducts workshops in racial reconciliation. He facilitated an outstanding interactive workshop, along with his wife, Reverend Denise Perkins, during our 2003 session (enthused participants kept them through dinner and into the evening!). The Perkins provided profound insights with regard to interracial and intercultural bias, and discussed fundamental elements of antiracism workshop curriculums. Dr. Perkins will return for a workshop on the practice of the transformative work of antiracism next year.

December 17, 2005
Marta Swain

Current plans call for a visit in Decembe to Marta Swain's Hemp Goods, Etc. shop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She shares vital information on conscious commerce and provides a lovely resource for people of peace who choose to Christmas shop in the spirit of justice. All goods in her shop are free from the stain of bad business practices, including child labor and price gouging.