MHCR Admin
Peer Learning: Indigenous Youth Championing ...

On November 9, 2023, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted an “Indigenous Peace Building and Youth, Peace, Security Strategy Workshop” which gathered Indigenous youth leaders from around the world in conjunction with the White House Tribal Youth Forum. This event mindfully organized participants into tables with a mixture of Indigenous youth leaders, government representatives, and peacebuilding working professionals to open opportunities for dialogue on the meanings of peace and traditional resources for peacemaking within a variety of cultural contexts. Through conversation, participants were able to share stories about their communities including traditional spaces for dialogue, mediation, and decision-making. When discussing the meaning of peace, some common themes across the cultures represented included peace as being connected with community, related to nature, dignity, and compromise. Participants often discussed the importance of shared safe spaces and of collective decision-making, including centering traditional Indigenous practices.

Peer Learning: Indigenous Youth Championing Peace
MHCR Admin
Empowering Young Athletes, Empowering my ...

I recently conducted a facilitation on the ideas of resilience, being a good teammate and friend, and finding validation within oneself with some of the adolescents that play at the volleyball club I coach for. I was given this avenue through the Shinnyo-en Fellowship I received a year ago. During my time as a fellow, I also have to create an impact project that be related or unrelated to the work I do at the organization of my choosing. I had a couple ideas bouncing around for this project, and ultimately decided on facilitating a dialogue in the volleyball club I coach for.

Empowering Young Athletes, Empowering my Younger Self
MHCR Admin
What If We Supported Insider Mediators…

… in a responsive way instead of a directive one? If we approached local mediators as bearing duties and not just watchful spectators and advisers holding rights? If we supported reconciliation structures by putting insider mediators at their heart?

What If We Supported Insider Mediators…
MHCR Admin
Empowering Research and Collaboration: MHCR ...

In the Summer of 2022, all MHCR undergraduates were awarded research funds through the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) within George Mason's Office of Scholarship, Creativity, and Research (OSCAR). Expanding from this, these awardees–Hannah Adamson, Merisa Mattix, and Greta Roberson–applied and were accepted to present at the 2023 National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Eau-Claire, Wisconsin. This conference included 3,600 undergraduate students and faculty from across the country. The MHCR students reflect on their experiences presenting and participating in the conference.

Empowering Research and Collaboration: MHCR Students’ Experiences at the 2023 National Conference for Undergraduate Research
MHCR Admin
MHCR Event Recap: Negotiating with the Terrorist

On the morning of May 2, 2023, the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation (MHCR) hosted a webinar titled, Negotiating with the Terrorist: Lessons Learned from Mediation Attempts with al-Shabaab. MHCR Director Antti Pentikäinen moderated the event, and the panelists were individuals he had previously worked alongside during high-stakes negotiations in Somalia.

MHCR Event Recap: Negotiating with the Terrorist

Looking Back at Peace Week! “New From MHCR: Healing Centered Research and Practice”

On November 13th, 2024, the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation (MHCR) hosted a thought-provoking discussion on Healing-Centered Approaches to Peacebuilding and Reconciliation (HCPR) as part of Fall Peace Week. We brought together scholars, practitioners, and students to discuss how healing-centered frameworks address trauma, foster resilience, and hold promise for cultivating sustainable peace across intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, and structural levels of change.

The discussion featured our esteemed panel of experts:

Antti Pentikäinen:

Director of MHCR and Executive Director of Think Peace Learning and Support Hub

Rowda Olad:

Associate Director of MHCR and Founder of Maandeeq Mental Health Without Borders

Leo Hylton:

Transformation and Reconciliation Lab Manager at MHCR

Deborah Sachare:

Impact Manager at MHCR

The session delved into three core frameworks that guide MHCR’s work including healing-centered engagement, healing-centered peacebuilding, and the wounded healer. These concepts shift from traditional trauma-informed care by emphasizing forward-looking solutions rooted in identity and community by integrating inclusion, contextualization, systems thinking, trauma-informed tools, and breaking cycles of violence in the work.

A significant focus of the event was the role of insider reconcilers (InRec)—local peacebuilders who are connected to one or more parties in conflict working within conflict zones to bridge divides and foster understanding. While these individuals are uniquely positioned to facilitate reconciliation, they often face immense mental and emotional challenges as they work without sufficient material support. The panel underscored the importance of supporting their well-being through psychoeducation, mindfulness practices, and culturally grounded approaches. These tools, combined with systems-level support, are essential for breaking cycles of harm and building sustainable peace.

Practical takeaways from the session included the importance of cultural sensitivity in peacebuilding, the integration of spiritual and ritual practices into reconciliation processes, and the need to address systemic trauma to prevent recurring cycles of violence. Panelist Rowda Olad highlighted her work in Somalia, where mental health advocacy and psychoeducation are tailored to fit local customs, demonstrating how healing-centered frameworks must adapt to the cultural context of each community.

Looking ahead, MHCR’s initiatives are focused on establishing a research foundation for HCPR, beginning with a comprehensive literature review and data analysis from the Insider Reconciler (InRec) study, the development of co-creation workshops to bring together scholars and practitioners, and ongoing collaborations with the Carter School Working Group on Forgiveness and Reconciliation (WGFR). These efforts aim to deepen our understanding of healing-centered practices and foster innovation in peacebuilding and reconciliation.

The session concluded with a call to collective reflection, exploration, and action:

How can we replicate the relational, processual, and structural elements of healing-centered approaches across diverse contexts while honoring local knowledge and leadership? 

This question will guide MHCR’s future work as we continue to champion resilience, inclusivity, and healing at every stage of peacebuilding and reconciliation processes.

YouTube recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW1K2Ax_ZDk 

Peer Learning: Indigenous Youth Championing Peace

Peer Learning: Indigenous Youth Championing Peace

On November 9, 2023, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted an “Indigenous Peace Building and Youth, Peace, Security Strategy Workshop” which gathered Indigenous youth leaders from around the world in conjunction with the White House Tribal Youth Forum. This event mindfully organized participants into tables with a mixture of Indigenous youth leaders, government representatives, and peacebuilding working professionals to open opportunities for dialogue on the meanings of peace and traditional resources for peacemaking within a variety of cultural contexts. Through conversation, participants were able to share stories about their communities including traditional spaces for dialogue, mediation, and decision-making. When discussing the meaning of peace, some common themes across the cultures represented included peace as being connected with community, related to nature, dignity, and compromise. Participants often discussed the importance of shared safe spaces and of collective decision-making, including centering traditional Indigenous practices.

Empowering Young Athletes, Empowering my Younger Self

Empowering Young Athletes, Empowering my Younger Self

I recently conducted a facilitation on the ideas of resilience, being a good teammate and friend, and finding validation within oneself with some of the adolescents that play at the volleyball club I coach for. I was given this avenue through the Shinnyo-en Fellowship I received a year ago. During my time as a fellow, I also have to create an impact project that be related or unrelated to the work I do at the organization of my choosing. I had a couple ideas bouncing around for this project, and ultimately decided on facilitating a dialogue in the volleyball club I coach for.

Empowering Research and Collaboration: MHCR Students’ Experiences at the 2023 National Conference for Undergraduate Research

Empowering Research and Collaboration: MHCR Students’ Experiences at the 2023 National Conference for Undergraduate Research

In the Summer of 2022, all MHCR undergraduates were awarded research funds through the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (URSP) within George Mason's Office of Scholarship, Creativity, and Research (OSCAR). Expanding from this, these awardees–Hannah Adamson, Merisa Mattix, and Greta Roberson–applied and were accepted to present at the 2023 National Conference for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) in Eau-Claire, Wisconsin. This conference included 3,600 undergraduate students and faculty from across the country. The MHCR students reflect on their experiences presenting and participating in the conference.

Combining Work and Study: How the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation Shaped My Skills and Interests for a Career in Conflict Resolution

Combining Work and Study: How the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation Shaped My Skills and Interests for a Career in Conflict Resolution

Working at the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation has granted me many firsts such as: making my first academic CV, conducting my first research interviews, and writing my first policy brief. During my first semester at MHCR, I was able to couple the internship with earning George Mason University’s minor in Conflict Analysis and Resolution Studies. By having both work and study combined, I had a way of learning about peace and conflict from both scholars and practitioners. One complemented the other seamlessly. I was improving my writing inside and outside the classroom while learning theories, listening to guest speakers, and coming to work to produce more knowledge in the field.

MHCR Peace Week Event Recap: New Frontiers in the Wellbeing of Reconciliation Practitioners

MHCR Peace Week Event Recap: New Frontiers in the Wellbeing of Reconciliation Practitioners

On Monday, March 27th, 2023 at 9 AM ET, the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation (MHCR) hosted a webinar during the Spring 2023 Carter School Peace Week event titled, “New Frontiers on the Wellbeing of Reconciliation Practitioners'' with guest panelists, Giselle Ali, an undergraduate student at the Carter School, and Wendpoulemde André Koala from the Sant’Egidio Foundation for Peace and Dialogue (SFPD). There were 40 participants who attended and gained knowledge on the topic. This event was facilitated and presented by Research Officer, Beltina Gjeloshi, and Program Officer, Hannah Adamson, with the welcome by Associate Director, Nicholas Sherwood. 

MHCR Event Recap: Learning from Latin America: Successes of Transitional Justice

MHCR Event Recap: Learning from Latin America: Successes of Transitional Justice

On the evening of Tuesday, March 7th, 2023, the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation hosted a virtual webinar, Learning from Latin America: Successes of Transitional Justice, featuring guest experts: Dr. Jo-Marie Burt, Associate Professor at GMU’s Schar School for Policy and Government and Senior Fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), and Eduardo Gonzalez, MHCR Research Affiliate and Think Peace Convener. This event was moderated by MHCR Communications Officer and Shinnyo Fellow, Amanda Peña.