Faculty and Staff
Barbara Blazej
I've been connected with the Peace Studies Program here at UMaine,
as both the program coordinator and an instructor, since 1990. Beginning in
July of 2003, I took on a new role in Peace Studies: director of our Youth Violence
Prevention Project. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to do peacework on
a daily basis, through teaching academic peace studies courses and working with
many elementary, middle and high school students and teachers throughout the
state on conflict resolution, mediation and diversity.
In May 1999, I completed an individually designed Masters in Peace Education
here at UMaine. That same year, my oldest daughter Nanda graduated from college
and left Maine for Seattle, where she works for an environmental consulting
firm and attends graduate school for environmental studies. . My middle daughter
Kerri lives in San Diego, where she recently began her graduate studies in architecture,
and my youngest daughter Lindsy is a junior at Bates College in Lewiston. She
just completed the fall semester studying in Madagascar and in February 2005
she will travel to Tasmania for her spring semester. Over the years, our family
has driven, hiked, camped, and biked around much of the US and Canada, and my
husband Ken and I especially enjoy exploring many areas of Maine by bike and
kayak.
Traveling to other parts of the world has also become a passion of mine in recent
years. In May of 2000 and 2001 I had the great fortune to attend the 8th and
9th annual International Conference on Conflict Resolution in St. Petersburg,
Russia. In 2001, I offered a workshop at the conference entitled: "Creating
a Culture of Peace through Forgiveness." More than 30 individuals from
several different countries attended the workshop and shared their diverse perspectives
on forgiveness and reconciliation. In February of 2002 and 2003 I traveled to
Cuba as part of two Witness for Peace delegations. On each trip, our group met
with Cuban doctors, farmers, teachers, clergy, government officials and others,
to learn firsthand about Cuban life and especially the difficulties related
to the ongoing US embargo. In January 2004 I offered a 3-credit travel study
course here at UMaine called "Cuba: Myths and Realities." Twelve students
met with me over the semester to explore Cuba's history and culture, and we
traveled to Cuba over Spring Break 2004. I will be returning to Cuba in February
of 2005 as delegation leader for a diverse group of UMaine students, faculty
and several community members from Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New
York.
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