Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice

Where ideas take shape and people take action.

You could spend months researching Kenyan youth and police to become an expert on the tension between them. Or you could go to Kenya and meet with people from both groups to understand why they struggle to find common ground. At the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, students and staff move beyond theory to address complex challenges in the field. They travel to Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe to explore the sources and impact of conflict. That means bringing everyone to the table — giving everyone a voice, from parliamentarians and civil society leaders to former combatants and security forces.

At the IPJ, we actively involve traditionally excluded groups to participate in peacebuilding. We bring women peacemakers from the frontlines of conflict to campus for a 10-week residency to exchange ideas and share best practices, face-to-face with students, and to document stories of courage and hope. We also provide spaces for youth to talk about what's going on around the world and in their own backyard. This next generation of peacebuilders comes from private, public and charter schools; from vocational and alternative programs. Their diverse perspectives spark thoughtful dialogue inspiring creative solutions for a better tomorrow.

High-level leaders come to our institute of peace to share innovative paths to sustainable change. In our classrooms and auditoriums, we've seen and heard from, among others, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, the founder of Women for Women International, a Nobel Peace Laureate transforming conflict through nonviolent coalitions and His Holiness the Dalai Lama on cultivating a spiritual path to peace and justice.