Exploring Peacebuilding Through Creative Processes

Emma Balder is a Denver-based visual artist with a BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Emma has been awarded Fellowships in Vermont and Texas, and has received recognition in multiple publications and exhibitions nationwide. Through a sustainable, zero-waste art practice, Emma pushes the boundaries of wasted material in her work, while exploring the process the radical transformation and regeneration.

Jack Karn holds a BA in History from the University of Maine and an MA in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation from SIT Graduate Institute.  Since 2013, Jack has been involved in various youth leadership development programs in New England. In 2014, he joined the interfaith nonprofit organization Jerusalem Peacebuilders as a Camp Director and Educator working with American, Israeli, and Palestinian teenagers to explore the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Each year, Jack travels to the Holy Land to teach leadership and peace education programs in Jerusalem schools. Karn’s passion for exploring conflict and promoting peace stems from his faith identity and commitment to a life of service.

This workshop aims to explore introductory understandings of peacebuilding through creative practices. With hands-on activities and discussions, we will explore connections between theory and practice. By the end of this workshop, participants will leave with an increased knowledge of the connections between creativity and peace, new skills in conflict resolution and a deeper awareness of individual and communal creative energies.