A school on George Mason University’s campus in Fairfax, Virginia, started over 40 years ago as a small center with a handful of faculty members in the 1980s. Since its opening, it has emerged as one of largest conflict resolution schools in the world, and ever since 2020, the school has honored former President Jimmy Carter.
It was renamed the “Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution,” and the nearly 500 undergraduate, master鈥檚 and PhD students honor his legacy just by attending class.
鈥淲hen we renamed this school after Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, we really had taken the inspiration from their legacy,鈥� Alpaslan 脰zerdem, dean of the Carter school said. 鈥淚t wasn’t only the conflict resolution but human rights, not only human rights, but health and housing and social justice. So this is what makes the legacy of Jimmy Carter so unique, because he really saw the importance of merging all these different areas.鈥�
Ahead of Carter鈥檚 funeral at Washington National Cathedral on Thursday, 脰zerdem said the former president鈥檚 legacy inspired content in almost every course at the school, but is particularly evident in conflict resolution classes.
Students read about the Carters鈥� work, and twice a year 鈥� once during the fall and once in the spring 鈥� the school organizes “peace weeks.” This year, on Oct. 1, they鈥檙e launching a new program to celebrate President Carter鈥檚 work.
The school emphases experiential learning, 脰zerdem said, 鈥渁nd that鈥檚 very much like what President Carter did. He didn鈥檛 only establish the theory of conflict resolution, he did conflict resolution. He engaged with communities affected by armed conflict or polarization, or other challenges, directly.鈥�
Inspired by Carter鈥檚 passion for innovation, 脰zerdem said the school has funded a new center that focuses on peace technology, which is 鈥渢he idea of how to apply technology for conflict prevention and peace building,鈥� he said.
Similarly, the school formed a partnership with civil society organization Rotary, which 脰zerdem said, 鈥渃omes from that foundation of what President Jimmy Carter did so well all his life and post-presidency with his humanitarian and conflict resolution work.鈥�
With Carter鈥檚 name on it, the school motivates students to learn from his career, because 鈥渨e need more peacebuilders and peacemakers,鈥� 脰zerdem said.
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