Karuna Center’s approach to peacebuilding aims to assist communities and societies create a sustainable peace. Karuna Center works in every stage of a conflict – analyzing and addressing the root causes of tension, leading interventions to prevent further violent escalation, and encouraging reconciliation.

Peacebuilding Associates

Karuna Center Peacebuilding Associates have achieved professional excellence in related fields and are engaged in Karuna’s core practice of peacebuilding through conflict transformation and inter-ethnic dialogue. Most have attended the CONTACT (Conflict Transformation Across Cultures) Program at the School for International Training (SIT). Both individually and collectively, the Associates strengthen and expand our capacity in international and domestic programs.

David Blair is co-founder and museum educator at the Mariposa Museum of World Cultures where he develops and implements education programs for visiting school and community groups.  In addition to writing grant proposals, he serves as Treasurer on the Museum Board.  Mr. Blair works as an external consultant for the Terre des hommes (Tdh) in Switzerland.  He has facilitated regional Asia meetings for the Tdh staff and a workshop on working with street children in Muslim countries, held in Nepal. 

Miki Jacevic currently serves as the Senior Policy Officer for Women Waging Peace, which aims to build relationships with policy makers to advance the participation of women peace processes around the world.  Mr. Jacevic is a Conflict Transformation Across Cultures program (CONTACT) faculty member at the School for International Training, teaching modules on introduction to conflict and peace studies; interventions (i.e. mediation, negotiations, facilitation, and dialogue); and women’s contributions to peacebuilding.

Lerio “Baht” Latumbo is the chairperson for Action for Conflict Transformation (ACTION), an international program of cross-cultural capacity building in conflict-affected areas located in Johannesburg, South Africa.  He is currently servicing as the vice-president and Chief Operation Officer of the AKKAPKA Foundation, Inc., a non-government organization in the Philippines espousing active non-violence as a way of life and as a means for social change.  Mr. Latumbo works as a faculty member at the Conflict Transformation Across Cultures program (CONTACT) and as an adjunct professor at Assumption College in Makati City, Philippines.  

Jan Passion is the strategic liaison for the Nonviolent Peaceforce in the United States.  He serves the organization in areas including research and networking, coordination of the International Convening Event, assisting in the development of Member Organization recruitment, and assisting in the recruitment of field workers for the pilot project located in Colombia, Sri Lanka, or the Mideast.  Mr. Passion served as a teaching fellow and Associate Director of the Conflict Transformation Across Cultures program (CONTACT).  

Joseph Sebarenzi is an experienced trainer in conflict management and conflict transformation.  He is currently a teaching fellow at the Conflict Transformation Across Cultures program (CONTACT) at the School for International Training.  Mr. Sebarenzi has served as Speaker of the House and a member of the National Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda, contributing to the enactment of many laws aimed at promoting good governance, democracy, reconciliation, and human rights.     

Katherine Stoessel is a human relations and conflict resolution professional with extensive skills and experience in education, program design, training, cross-cultural communication, curriculum development, dialogue facilitation and mediation.  She consults nationally and internationally with educational institutions, non-profits, and community groups.

Adin Thayer, M.S.W. is an adjunct faculty member at the Smith College School for Social Work in Massachusetts (USA), where she teaches Collective Trauma, and also at the School for International Training (SIT) in Vermont (USA), where she is Associate Director for the Graduate Certificate Program in Conflict Transformation Across Cultures. She works independently as a Consultant in Peacebuilding and Psychosocial Recovery, primarily in the Great Lakes region of Africa. She also works in the fields of dialogue and racial reconciliation in the USA. Prior to her international work she practiced in the fields of social work and community mental health for many years.
 
Judith Thompson is a peace practitioner, scholar, organizational leader, and public speaker with a successful twenty-five track record in developing and managing programs dedicated to respecting difference and celebrating common ground between diverse groups.  Dr. Thompson co-founded and directed the celebrated international youth peace organization, Children of War, Inc., has organized international peace practitioner learning communities, and has received the Peace Fellowship from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies. 

Demaris Wehr, Ph.D. has worked as a professor of religion at Boston University, the Women’s Theological Center, and the Episcopal Divinity School in Boston, Massachusetts.  Dr. Wehr works as a psychotherapist in a private practice.  She is the author of many books and articles including Jung and Feminism: Liberating Archetypes.