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Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies
The war in Iraq. The Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Global terrorism. Ongoing conflicts in Colombia, the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and dozens of other nations around the world.
Inspired by the tireless work of the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., and his vision of a just world free from the threat of nuclear holocaust, the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies seeks solutions to the tensions that underlie the violent conflicts that threaten the sanctity of humankind and the planet. Since its founding in 1986, the Kroc Institute has evolved into one of the world's principal centers for the study of violence and conflict resolution, cultivating a multi–national, inter–religious student and faculty body devoted to building peace through education, research, and training.
The Spirit of Notre Dame campaign seeks $5 million to strengthen and build upon the critical scholarship and peacebuilding efforts of the Kroc Institute.
Campaign Priorities for the
Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies
University Chair in Peace Studies
Peace studies engages both insiders and outsiders. Currently, the institute is flush with “outsiders”–faculty who are trained in another discipline, but who write and teach about peace, conflict, and justice. Thus, while historians, anthropologists, sociologists, lawyers, and political scientists teach at the Kroc Institute and do research related to peace and justice work, only four Kroc faculty are trained explicitly in peace studies. In short, while the institute is strong in religion and ethnic conflict, it must build core areas of research and teaching around themes and methods that are “traditionally” at the heart of the discipline known as peace studies.
How can I help? A University–level chair in peace studies may be endowed with a gift of $3 million.
Catholic Peacebuilding Network (CPN)
Founded by Kroc Institute director Dr. Scott Appleby, the CPN is a voluntary network of practitioners, academics, clergy, and laity from around the world who seek to enhance the study and practice of Catholic peacebuilding, especially at the local level, by deepening bonds of solidarity among Catholic peacebuilders, sharing and analyzing “best practices,” expanding the peacebuilding capacity of the Church in areas of conflict, and encouraging the further development of a theology of just peace.
How can I help? The work of the CPN can be supported through Endowments for Excellence, which may be endowed at the following levels: Named ($100,000), Prize ($250,000), Distinguished ($500,000), Presidential ($1 million), and Premier ($5 million).
Student Internships in Peacebuilding
Whether one is a negotiator deciding how to respond to an offer from the other side, a religious leader determining what to say to the faithful about a proposed truth commission, or a leader of an NGO designing a project to foster better relations between ethnic groups, peacebuilders need effective tools for integrating peace scholarship and the realities of conflict in the field. To foster students' capacity to integrate theory and practice, the Kroc Institute developed an innovative two–year M.A. program that combines traditional coursework with experience in one of several conflict–ridden field sites around the world.
How can I help? Student Internships in Peacebuilding, which will underwrite graduate student field experiences, can be funded through Endowments for Excellence at any of the following levels: Named ($100,000), Prize ($250,000), Distinguished ($500,000), Presidential ($1 million), and Premier ($5 million).
Visiting Professorships and Fellowships in Public Policy
The Kroc Institute seeks funding for endowed visiting professorships and/or fellowships in the area of public outreach. Such funds would serve to attract scholars and teachers from around the nation and the world to spend a year at the institute conducting research, teaching our students, interacting with faculty on matters of public education and policy—and then, of course, spreading the word about the Kroc Institute. Visiting professorships and fellowships, in short, are a highly effective means of extending the influence of the Kroc Institute beyond the academy and into the world of practice and policy.
How can I help? Visiting professorships and fellowships can be funded through Endowments for Excellence at any of the following levels: Named ($100,000), Prize ($250,000), Distinguished ($500,000), Presidential ($1 million), and Premier ($5 million).
Questions? Please contact us at spirit@nd.edu.


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