The Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) is a non-profit organization headquartered at Prescott College and based in Prescott, Arizona; its current Executive Director is Randall Amster. It was formed in 2001 as a result of a merger of the Consortium on Peace Research, Education and Development (COPRED) and the Peace Studies Association (PSA). Both organizations provided leadership in the broadly defined fields of peace, conflict and justice studies.
The PJSA is dedicated to bringing together academics, K-12 teachers and grassroots activists to explore alternatives to violence and to share visions and strategies for peacebuilding, social justice, and social change. It also serves as a professional association for scholars in the field of peace and conflict resolution studies. It is the North American regional affiliate of the International Peace Research Association (IPRA).
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The PJSA works to create a just and peaceful world through:
PJSA members share many of the following values and beliefs:
In addition to other professional services, the PJSA publishes a regular newsletter, The Peace Chronicle, maintains a member network and listserv, publishes the Global Directory of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Programs, offers a Speakers' Bureau of experts in the field, and hosts a blog for peace and justice writings. The organization has members from around the world, with a preponderance from the United States and Canada. The PJSA hosts an annual conference focusing on issues pertinent to the association's mission and values, including the following themes and locations since the inception of the PJSA in 2001:
October 2002: “Confronting Injustice, Ending War: The Role of Peace Educators and Activists After 9/11,” at Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)
October 2003: “Fostering Alternatives to Violence,” at Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA)
October 2004: “The Challenge of Globalization: Incorporating Peace, Justice and Human Rights,” at the University of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
October 2005: “In Solidarity: Engaging Empire in Activism, Education and Community Strategies,” at Goshen College (Goshen, IN)
October 2006: “Who Speaks for the Common Good?” at Manhattan College (Bronx, NY)
September 2007: “Cultural Identity in a Mass Culture World,” at Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, PA)
September 2008: “Building Cultures of Peace,” at Portland State University (Portland, OR)
October 2009: “Exploring the Power of Nonviolence,” at Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI)
October 2010: “Building Bridges, Crossing Borders: Gender, Identity, and Security in the Search for Peace,” at Menno Simons College and the Global College (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)
October 2011: "A Living Movement: Toward a World of Peace, Solidarity, and Justice," at Christian Brothers University (Memphis, TN; in partnership with the Gandhi-King Conference)
The PJSA has a number of partnership and affiliation agreements with organizations sharing its overarching mission and values. Included in these partnership arrangements are educational associations such as Brethren Colleges Abroad (BCA), the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA), and the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College. The PJSA also works closely with the media organization PeaceVoice, which facilitates the publication of articles and essays by peace professionals.