Monday, August 31, 2015

Public Talk, Wednesday September 2 at JRC 101 7:00 p.m.

                                                                                     Refreshments served

 Attaining Hard Peace, Soft Peace and Smart Peace


George A. Lopez (Grinnell College Visiting Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies; Professor, KROC Institute of International Peace Studies; former VP, United States Institute of Peace) will address current events through the lens of Peace and Conflict Studies.  

This fall Lopez is team-teaching with Timothy Dobe (ReligiousStudies) the College’s pilot course, Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies, which is made possible by a Grinnell College Innovation Fund Grant.

Lopez has served in a variety of roles at the Joan B. KrocInstitute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, where holds the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Chair in Peace Studies. He is an international expert on the problems of state violence, economic sanctions and human rights violations. One of his most recent works, “Sanctions and the Search for Security: Challenges to UN Action,” explores the dilemmas faced by the United Nations Security Council.

At the United States Institute of Peace’s Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding, Lopez worked to equip government officials and civil society organizations to be effective peacemakers.

An internationally recognized expert on peace and conflict issues across the globe, Lopez has served as adviser to various agencies and governments regarding sanctions issues, ranging from assessing humanitarian impact to the design of targeted financial sanctions. He also served on the UN Panel of Experts for monitoring and implementing UN sanctions on North Korea from 2010-11.

Lopez has commented about war and peace issues in national and international media. In addition, he is widely known for his work in developing university peace studies in the United States.

The Grinnell College Peace and Conflict Studies Program is sponsoring the Lopez lecture.