Pro Vita 2018: Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Speaker Biographies

 

Dr. Maryann Cusimano Love is a tenured Associate Professor of International Relations in the Politics Department of The Catholic University of America. She is on the Core Group for the Department of State's working group on Religion and Foreign Policy, charged with making recommendations to the Secretary of State and the Federal Advisory Commission on how the US government can better engage with civil society and religious actors in foreign policy. She served as a Fellow at the Commission on International Religious Freedom, where she is working with the Foreign Service Institute in creating new training and education materials on religion and foreign policy. She teaches graduate and undergraduate International Relations courses at Catholic University and the Pentagon, such as Security, Peace Studies, Just Peace, U.S. Foreign Policy, Terrorism, Globalization, and The Problem of Sovereignty. Her recent International Relations books include Beyond Sovereignty: Issues for a Global Agenda (4th Edition, 2011), Morality Matters: Ethics and the War on Terrorism (forthcoming at Cornell University Press), "What Kind of Peace Do We Seek?" a book chapter on peacebuilding, in Notre Dame University's volume on The Ethics and Theology of Peacebuilding (Orbis 2011), "The Church and Global Governance" chapter for a Vatican book volume on Pacem in Terris, and "Women, Religion, and Peace" chapter for a U.S. Institute of Peace book Exploring the Invisible.

She serves on: the U.S. Catholic Bishops' International Justice and Peace Committee, where she advises the bishops on international affairs and U.S. foreign policy, and engages in advocacy with the U.S. government; the Advisory Board of the Catholic Peacebuilding Network, a network of practitioners, academics, clergy, and laity from around the world in the field of Catholic peacebuilding; the board and Communications Committee of Jesuit Refugee Services, an international refugee relief and advocacy group active in over 60 countries.

An alumna of the Johns Hopkins University (PhD), the University of Texas at Austin (MA), and St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia (BA), Dr Cusimano Love is a frequent speaker on international affairs issues, as when she spoke on Religious Peacebuilding at the Vatican and at the United Nations. She is a columnist for America magazine and a recipient of the 2009 Best Columnist Catholic Press Award. As a former Pew Faculty Fellow and a current consultant for Georgetown's Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Dr. Love regularly gives faculty development workshops on religion and world politics, and case and participatory teaching techniques.

Dr. Cusimano Love lives on the Chesapeake Bay outside of Washington, DC, with her husband Richard and three young children, Maria, Ricky, and Ava, who inspired her New York Times best-selling children's books, You Are My I Love You, You Are My Miracle, You Are My Wish, You Are My Wonders, and Sleep, Baby, Sleep.

 

Susan Hayward is a senior advisor for religion and inclusive societies at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Hayward directs the Institute’s efforts to advance conflict prevention, resolution and reconciliation projects engaging the religious sector. Since joining the Institute in 2007, her field work has focused on Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Colombia and Iraq. From 2010-2012 she coordinated an initiative exploring the intersection of women, religion, conflict and peacebuilding in partnership with the Berkley Center at Georgetown University and the World Faiths Development Dialogue. She co-edited a book on the topic entitled Women, Religion and Peacebuilding: Illuminating the Unseen. Her research interests include interfaith engagement in the midst of political violence, political Buddhism and the role of religion in hampering and propelling women’s work for peace and justice. She also serves on the international selection committee for the Niwano Peace Prize, which recognizes religious peacebuilders.

Prior to joining the Institute, Hayward worked with the Academy of Educational Development’s office in Colombo, Sri Lanka, as a fellow of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, and with the Conflict Resolution Program at the Carter Center in Atlanta. Hayward also conducted political asylum and refugee work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Advocates for Human Rights.

Hayward studied Buddhism in Nepal and is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. She holds a bachelor's degree in comparative religions from Tufts University and master’s degrees from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and Harvard Divinity School. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in theology and religious studies at Georgetown University, focusing on Buddhist and Christian theological responses to authoritarianism and conflict in Myanmar.

 

Dr. Jean-Pierre Karegeye is a Visiting Scholar at Dickinson College in Philosophy Department. In addition to a Ph.D. in Francophone Literature (University of California at Berkeley), he earned two Master’s degrees in Social Ethics/Moral Theology (JST at Santa Clara University) and in French (UC Berkeley), three Bachelor’s degrees in African Linguistics, Philosophy, and Theology. His work on Genocide, Religious Violence, and child soldiering focuses on testimony and explores both fictional and non-fictional narratives. Some of his current projects explore how genocide and Religious radicalization in Africa imply a reconstruction and a relocation of Social Sciences and Humanities. Karegeye is also the Director of the Interdisciplinary Genocide Studies Center.  Publications include Children in Armed Conflicts (2012),  “Rwanda’s Paradox of remembering and Suffering”, (2012) “Ruanda : de la literatura post-genocidio o el dialogo entre testimonio y compromiso" (2012) "Religion, Politics, and Genocide in Rwanda" (2012),  “La critique africaine à l’épreuve du génocide “ (2017)

Christina Li is an Advisor in the Office of Religion and Global Affairs at the Department of State. Prior to joining RGA, Christina managed $50 million in programs for Asia. Her policy experience has been informed by her work in Fortune 500 and Silicon Valley start-up companies, where she led cross-functional teams in risk analysis and marketing. She also possesses experiences working in microfinance and education focused faith-based non governmental organizations.

Christina holds degrees from Stanford and Oxford Universities, as well as the University of California in Economics, International Human Rights Law, and International Development respectively.
 

Dr. Gabriel Marcella is Distinguished Fellow and former Director of the Americas Studies at the United States Army War College. He served as International Affairs Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief at the United States Southern Command. He has been a consultant to the Departments of State and Defense on Latin American security.

He has written extensively on the Colombian conflict, with such publications as: “The U.S. Engagement with Colombia: Legitimate State Authority and Human Rights” and “Democratic Governance and the Rule of Law: Lessons from Colombia.” The publications Teaching Strategy: The Challenge and Response and Affairs of State: The Interagency and National Security have been widely used by military educational institutions and universities. Dr. Marcella holds the Ph.D. in Latin American History and politics from the University of Notre Dame, M.A. from Syracuse University, B.S. from St. Joseph’s University, diploma from the Inter-American Defense College, and was a Fulbright Fellow at the Central University of Ecuador. Born and raised in Italy, the president of Italy awarded him the honor of Commendatore Dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana in recognition of his scholarship. Gabriel’s interests include grandfathering and growing Italian vegetables.

 

Dr. Sherwood McGinnis is Adjunct Professor at the U.S. Army War College and at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he teaches courses on national security and the foreign policy process.  Sherwood retired from the Senior Foreign Service with extensive experience in the political, economic development and stabilization fields. He served in Afghanistan, Mexico, the Middle East and Europe, coordinating with multilateral organizations including the UN, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, NATO, and the Conference on Disarmament as a negotiator and spokesperson for U.S. policies. Most recent assignments include: Professor, National Security and Strategy, U.S. Army War College, Political Advisor to the Commander, International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan, Special Advisor to the Ambassador, U.S. Mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. After retiring from the U.S. Government, he served in Jordan from 2013 to 2015 as Senior Advisor at Financial Services Volunteer Corps, a not-for-profit organization focused on economic development, good governance, small and medium sized enterprises, and local government transparency.

Sherwood has resided in Carlisle since 2007, with overseas assignments during this period.  He is involved in a number of community activities, including serving on the Bosler Library Board of Directors and as member of the Parish Council of Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Community, the Carlisle-Sunrise Rotary Club, Carlisle Area Religious Council, and Cumberland Valley Rising.  Sherwood holds the doctorate in International Studies, American University, Master of Arts in History, University of Virginia, and BA with High Distinction in History, University of Virginia. Daughter Claire is studying law in London.     

 

 Dr. Thomas G. Matyók is Director of the United States Air Force Negotiation Center and Associate Professor of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at Air University. His research interests include military education and training in conflict analysis and transformation, negotiating with religious actors in conflict prevention and post-conflict reconciliation, and Joint Civil-Military Interaction. Dr. Matyók was the Chair and Director of Graduate Studies of the Department Peace and Conflict Studies at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In addition to UNCG, Tom has taught at the United States Army War College, John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Duke University Rotary Scholars Program, University of Konstanz (Germany) Department of Politics and Public Administration, and Nova Southeastern University Department of Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Tom is currently co-editing the Routledge Companion to Peace and Conflict Studies due for release in early 2019. Publications include: Critical Issues in Peace and Conflict Studies, Transformative Change: An Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies, “Is There Room for Peace Studies in a Future-Centered Warfighting Curriculum?”, “Religion: A Missing Component of Professional Military Education.”