The Buchanan Center for Peace and Nonviolence develops peacemakers through educational programs, campus partnerships, and community engagement. Drawing on the tradition of the Catholic Church and the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, we aim to cultivate an interior peace that refuses to hate and seeks right relationships with God and others, interpersonal communication and conflict-resolution skills that make constructive dialogue across difference possible, and attentiveness to injustice so that wrongs may be made right through reconciliation.
What We Mean by Peace
Peace is more than the absence of war, conflict, or disagreement. Peace exists where right relationships flourish: with God, with one another, within ourselves, and in the communities and institutions we share. It is marked by truth, justice, and human connection.
What We Mean by Nonviolence
Nonviolence is more than refraining from physical harm. It begins with an interior refusal to hate or resent others, a refusal to dehumanize or seek retaliation against our enemies. It takes practical form in open dialogue, conflict resolution, and reconciliation.