“ While Manchester ’ s peace studies curriculum has changed since 1948 , what remains steadfast is a countercultural critique of militarism and an opposition to violence in all its forms .”
MU | Peace Studies
T he legacy of peace studies at Manchester is longstanding . As the first undergraduate program of its kind in the world , it is an integral part of Manchester ’ s academic and extracurricular programming and activities , and it continues to reflect the University ’ s commitment to bettering the world .
Dan West , a Brethren farmer and conscientious objector , graduated from Manchester in 1917 . The founder of Heifer International , a nonprofit organization dedicated to relieving poverty globally , and a key player in the founding of Brethren Volunteer Service , West returned to Manchester in 1947 to teach the first course – Bases for an Enduring Peace – in what would become the peace studies curriculum .
In 1948 , President Vernon Schwalm ’ 13 invited LaVerne College history professor Gladdys Muir to establish Manchester ’ s peace studies program .
“ Muir based her pursuit of peace studies on her religious convictions of the sacredness of life and our essential unity as persons ,” wrote Ken Brown , the late professor and longtime director of peace studies , in 2010 . “ She believed that what is needed most is not new technology but a spirituality that speaks to life ’ s purpose ; and education that nourishes the soul for peacemaking rather than war . The task , she wrote , is something that colleges founded on faith could more appropriately do than can secular public universities . Manchester ’ s peace studies pioneer was a woman of broad ecumenical and cultural concerns . She appreciated the world religions and drew from their spiritual and moral wealth for peacemaking .”
Now , 75 years later , the Peace Studies Institute continues to thrive . As of Spring 2023 , there are 14 students majoring in peace studies and 10 carrying minors . The program has taken on increasing campuswide responsibilities – bringing in speakers , orchestrating student events and , more recently , supporting religious life activities .
The program is also collaborating more closely with other academic programs and local partners .
Peace studies and environmental studies , which celebrated its 50th anniversary at Manchester in 2020 , have spent the past several years collaborating on courses , community events and January session and alumni trips .
Last spring , the two programs worked together to organize the annual peace studies alumni trip to Toledo , Ohio . Students and alumni visited Junction Coalition , an organization focused on building safe and sustainable communities that develops programs to deal with housing abandonment and demolition , land use and redevelopment , youth safety and other local neighborhood needs .
This past January , students from both majors traveled to Florida and Georgia to study models of community resilience to climate change . There , they visited field workers in Immokalee , sustainable energy developments in Babcock Ranch , and environmental innovation efforts at ECHO , an organization that introduces sustainable plants , techniques and technologies to farmers around the world .
“ Back in North Manchester , we are applying what we learned , breaking ground on campus foodscape projects and partnering with local groups on issues of food insecurity in our community ,” said Katy Gray Brown ’ 91 , director of the Peace Studies Institute and professor of peace studies and philosophy .
“ While Manchester ’ s peace studies curriculum has changed since 1948 , what remains steadfast is a countercultural critique of militarism and an opposition to violence in all its forms .”
In 2022 , led by environmental studies director Suzanne Beyeler , peace studies and environmental studies launched the Center for Environmental Resilience and Social Engagement , devoted to the intersections of the two interdisciplinary programs .
The Manchester Church of the Brethren has also partnered with peace studies for a number of events over the past several years . The church ’ s anti-racism film series that began in 2020 was organized with help from the program , primarily by former peace studies coordinator Virginia Rendler ’ 20 . The series featured films centered on the history of racism in the United States that persists today , including Harriet , The Hate U Give and John Lewis : Good Trouble . The peace studies program also supported and helped organize local Black Lives Matter protests after the murder of George Floyd .
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic , peace studies has sent volunteers to help with Second Harvest Tailgates at the Church of the Brethren on the second Wednesday of each month , providing free food , drinks and other resources to community members .
In 2019 , the program expanded both its curriculum and its extracurricular activities to more deeply address poverty and economic injustice . The new “ Concerning Poverty ” course is one of the most popular peace studies offerings . Because of this focus , the program has developed relationships with organizations working on housing and food insecurity in Wabash County .
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