Peace, Social, and Environmental Justice: Writings of Peace and Conflict Studies and Social Work Faculty at UNCG

Peace, Social, and Environmental Justice: Writings of Peace and Conflict Studies and Social Work Faculty at UNCG

Thursday, February 21, 4pm

Ali Askerov, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at UNCG since 2013. He previously taught peace studies, international relations, political history, public international law, and political ideas and ideologies at the University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba, and University of Regina. He is a recipient of several prestigious fellowships offered by the US Department of State and the Open Society Foundation. His research fields include ethnic conflict, terrorism, religious studies, peace education, conflict transformation, qualitative research methods, and the history of political ideas, among others. Ali is a research fellow for the Center for New North Carolinians. He has been interviewed for various television stations regarding international conflicts, terrorism, and national security issues. Ali’s present research includes ongoing refugee issues, contending interests of Russia and Turkey in Syria, the collusion of legitimate and covert politics in the Middle East, international terrorism, and identity formation and change.

Meredith Powers, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at UNCG. She currently serves on the Environmental Justice Committee for the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). She also established and administers the growing, online network ‘Green/Environmental Social Work Collaborative Network’ for social workers around the world who are committed to ecological justice. 

Jeremy Rinker, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at UNCG’s Department of Peace and Conflict Studies where he researches the intersections between narrative, violent conflict, and nonviolent conflict transformation. While much of Jeremy’s research has focused on the centrality of justice discourse in religiously based social change movements, Jeremy also has interest in restorative justice, political violence, and conflict intervention practices, as well as, trauma, memory, and reconciliation. Jeremy was a 2013 Fulbright Fellow at the Malaviya Center for Peace Research at Banaras Hindu University in Banaras, India. He also has experience in non-governmental organizations working in international development, humanitarian aid, and restorative justice. Jeremy has served as the Director of a conflict resolution practice clinic on Guilford College’s campus and has extensive training experience in mediation and community conferencing and community dialogue models. Jeremy first began teaching as a Peace Corps volunteer (’95-’97) in Kyzl-orda, Kazakhstan and remains committed to exploring the complex pedagogies and erasures associated with social conflicts over issues of cultural and justice.

Cathryne L. Schmitz, Ph. D. is a Professor Emerita in the Department of Social Work at the University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG). Cathryne Schmitz is a social work educator, trainer, accreditation specialist, and consultant. As an educator and trainer, she has dedicated many years to working on critical multiculturalism and anti-oppression education and practice; and, environmental justice and sustainability. She consults nationally and globally on program/curriculum development, accreditation, and organizational health.

 

Event date: 
Thursday, February 21, 2019 - 4:00pm
Event address: 
304 S. Elm St.
Greensboro, NC 27401