Leir Institute Newsletter – Fall 2019
Dear Friends,
Our fall semester is winding down, which means everyone is scrambling to
fit in all of the things they want to do before we leave for winter
break. The calendar is filled every day with conferences, speakers, and
of course the annual Faculty and Staff Waits on You Dinner!
Here at the Henry J. Leir Institute, we are pleased to share an update
on our current activities as well as our plans for 2020. This fall we
had the pleasure of hosting two PhD alumni as guest speakers: Professor Dipali Mukhopadhyay, visiting from Columbia University, discussing state-building in the shadow of counterterrorism, and Dr. Kimberly Howe,
research director at the Feinstein International Center, sharing her
research, with Dr. Adam Lichetenheld, on the efficacy of foreign aid in
rebel-held Syria.
Dr. Howe is also a visiting lecturer at Fletcher this term, teaching
Conflict Resolution Theory! She is a great success with the students, as
you might imagine, bringing all of the benefits of her field experience
to the classroom. Neil Levine, former Director of the
Center of Excellence for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance at
USAID is visiting this semester as well, teaching Advanced Development
and Conflict Resolution. He has retired from government and is living in
the Boston area. He recently started a consulting practice, so we hope
to bring him back to Fletcher for future teaching and speaking
opportunities.
In the spring, we also have a full agenda planned! In January, Mark Rogers will be offering his now-annual weekend workshop on conflict analysis, and in February we will bring in Karen Grattan
for a 2-day workshop on systems mapping. Karen is a sought-after expert
in this method for community planning and decision making, and we have
found it to be a perfect fit for human security – inclusive,
multidimensional, and locally developed.
Finally, in early April, we will be presenting the biennial Human
Security award, to a Fletcher alumnus/a who is doing exemplary work in
human security. Stay tuned for the announcement of the winner and the
date! We’d love to see you here for the event if you can make it.
In closing, let me say again how much we appreciate all that you are
doing to further the work of peace, development, justice, and humane
commerce in the world! I would love to hear from you about the work
that you are doing, so please write with an update. You can also keep
tabs on our activities by accessing the Leir Institute website and joining to our mailing list.
With warmest wishes,
Professor Eileen F. Babbitt
Director, Henry J. Leir Institute