The Center for Peace and Global Citizenship (CPGC) advances Haverford’s long-standing commitment to peace and social justice through research, education and action. The CPGC integrates innovative scholarship and responsible civic engagement around contemporary issues of global significance. With its commitment to knowledge as the foundation for effective action, the Center embodies Haverford’s scholarly and ethical mission as a premier liberal arts college.

Vision

The Center encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and curricular innovation on campus, while pursuing broader initiatives beyond campus. Both local and global in reach, the Center seeks to widen and deepen Haverford's connections with social change organizations and to encourage an integrated approach to pressing social, cultural and ethical concerns, at the same time that it promotes scholarship and teaching about the critical issues of our day. The Center sponsors and supports a range of initiatives that stand at the nexus of liberal learning, critical reflection and social action.

History

The Center for Peace and Global Citizenship originated as a result of faculty and student interests during the College’s 1999 Middle States review for accreditation. The original objectives of the Center were: 1) “to foster interdisciplinary work by linking the various academic divisions in a common academic and outreach enterprise”, and 2) “to be outward looking – both in its intellectual focus and in its concern with connecting faculty and students to individuals and organizations outside the Haverford community.” Over the past six years the Center has grown and evolved to accommodate the changing interests, both on campus and in the greater world, however we have not strayed far from our original aims. We continue to expand our programming in response to the increasing interest in our mission and we invite and welcome you to take part in our work!

About Service Leadership

The Center for Peace and Global Citizenship initiated a Service Leadership Program in September 2004 to encourage and support staff, faculty, current students, graduating seniors and recent alumni as they develop deeper understandings of complex social issues and promote innovative solutions to problems they have witnessed in their home community or in another community with which they have developed a strong connection. The program partners with individuals and groups to assist them in developing increasingly nuanced understandings of the complexities of peace and justice work. The Service Leadership Program works alongside these individuals as they begin to explore the intersections between research and action.