Tuesday, December 3, 2002

An Army of Peace

Introductions by Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Visiting Professor of Theological & Religious Studies at USD.

Discussion by Kevin Malone, who worked in Cambodian refugee camps on the Thai border in the early 1990s. He helped coordinate an advocacy project for the inclusion of Cambodian refugees in the planning of the Repatriation process with the Jesuit Refugee Service and the Coalition for Peace and Reconciliation. He then worked for eight years in northwest Cambodia as one of the principal organizers of a Cambodian movement for peace and nonviolence which organized annual pilgrimages through the war zones behind Buddhist monk and multiple Nobel prize nominee Maha Ghosananda. The center helped to build capacities for peace through village level development projects, supported the reemergence of Buddhist temples as spaces for peace, and found ways to create contacts for peace across war boundaries. Kevin was the founding coordinator of the Cambodian Center for Conflict Resolution which pulled together an all party, national steering committee for the development of conflict resolution skills in Cambodia and to provide a space for peace to happen in Cambodia.

An Army of Peace highlights a Buddhist peace march of over 300 pilgrims in former Khmer Rouge territory in Cambodia, building bridges amongst ordinary people who have been isolated for decades by war. The film brings to light some of the remaining obstacles to lasting peace: landmines, displaced people, poverty, weapons, environmental destruction and violence against women.
Institute for Peace & Justice Auditorium.