Faculty and Staff
Phyllis Brazee
Phone:
581-2609
E-mail: phyllis.brazee@umit.maine.edu
Introduction:
For the past nine years I have
had the incredible opportunity of directing UM's Peace Studies
Program. During that time I have worked collaboratively with
past directors--Drs. Kathryn Gaianguest and Emily Markides.
My inspiration and day-to-day sounding board has been Barb Blazej,
who has worked for the Peace Studies Program almost since its
inception in 1988. Barb and I have taught together, attended
and presented at national conferences together, planned numerous
on campus events and we keep the program going on a daily basis.
We are now ably assisted by Ellen Woodhead. We have also been
joined over the years by many creative, hardworking work-study
students and adjunct faculty.
My Background:
I have taught at the college
level for 32 years in two institutions: the University of Northern
Colorado and the University of Maine. I have delighted in experiential
formats that enhance the possibilities for building and maintaining
relationships within the classroom setting. I have taught Literacy
Education, first a Remedial Reading teacher for 3 years in public
schools, and then for 25 years at the University level. I am
currently in the Curriculum and Foundations area of the College
of Education and Human Development, teaching both undergraduate
and graduate courses. My concurrent position as Director of
the Peace Studies Program allows me to work directly on issues
that I hold dear: creating a humane, compassionate world, and
understanding the root causes that seem to prevent us from achieving
this vision. I am an eternal optimist by birth, so I believe
that we will ultimately achieve such a vision.
I have two sons - Jeff, 29 and
Chris, 26. Jeff graduated from Colorado College and is currently
a technology administrator for an NGO. He is married to Amanda
COA graduate who now works at CU Boulder. Chris graduated from
NYU in comparative literature and physics. He currently lives
in Brooklyn Heights and is attending a 2 year agraduate program
in Historic Preservation at Columbia University. He loves the
city, and the opportunity to come north at frequent intervals
to experience a totally different pace of life.
My Vision for a Culture
of Peace:
I believe that authentic, non-judgmental
dialogue including deep, heartfelt listening is the major tool
for creating the opportunities for building a culture of peace
in the 21st century.
I believe that relationships
are central to all of life and to a culture of peace. These
relationships are both solid and fluid. They take constant attention.
I believe a unique opportunity
of this new century is to engage in the creation of balance
& harmony between yin and yang, masculine and feminine energies.
Humans have been out of balance for centuries.
As with the field of peace studies,
my vision for a peaceful world (and how to achieve it) has grown
immensely over the last nine years.
I believe the world is engaging
in a transformation from a culture of war to a culture of peace.
This is nothing less than a worldwide paradigm shift.
I believe that central to a culture
of peace is the desire to live a meaningful life. That meaning
comes from both inner peace and outer action. Meaning comes
from a sense of something larger than one's self.
I believe that forgiveness is
one of the most important "skills" for citizens in
the 21st century. It is an ancient act and a new field of academic
study.
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