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Bethlehem, Pa., March 26, 2015—Moravian College will serve as host to the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges’ (LVAIC) War and Peacebuilding Conference on Friday, March 27. Faculty, staff and students from area colleges, as well as members of the greater Lehigh Valley community, will participate in the day-long conference which will run from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. in the Haupert Union Building.

Faculty from Moravian College, Muhlenberg and Lafayette Colleges and Lehigh University, as well as a local veterans, authors, and scholars will convene on panels that shine light on work that addresses the costs of war, and the way we experience those costs in the Lehigh Valley. The conference will feature breakout sessions, including "Teaching about 9/11 Through Critical Pedagogy" and "Beyond the 'Trauma Hero': Expanding the Narrative of American Military Life." Individual student papers will also be presented in a session titled "Enemies and War Support."

Robert E. Meagher, professor at Hampshire College will present the keynote address, "Wounded Warriors, Wounded Nation, Closing the Gates of War." The talk will expand upon the topic of moral injury and its presence not only in the military but in our greater society. Meagher has published over a dozen books, in addition to numerous translations and original plays. His most recent books include Herakles Gone Mad: Rethinking Heroism in an Age of Endless War and Killing from the Inside Out: Moral Injury and Just War. He has offered workshops on the translation and contemporary production of ancient drama at college and universities here and abroad, directing productions at the Samuel Beckett Centre, Dublin and the Nandan Centre for the Performing Arts in Kolkota, India. In recent years he has directed and participated in events and programs concerned with the healing of spiritual wounds of war experienced by military service.

"Our collaboration across the Lehigh Valley enhances our efforts to learn together to better understand the over 13 years of war that we have experienced, and its effects on the lives of individuals and all of us as a society," said Kelly Denton-Borhaug, associate professor of religion and co-organizer of the event with Daniel Jasper. "As you look over the program keynote and session titles, you will see just how this collaboration, dialogue and learning is being implemented."

“For us at Moravian College, this work also coincides with our efforts for InFocus: War, Peacebuilding and the Just Society; this is a signature InFocus event for the college this year,” Denton-Borhaug continued. “We are delighted that our keynote speaker is a distinguished humanities professor from Hampshire College who will focus on the costs and consequences of our recent wars, not only to military service members and veterans, but to the nation as a whole. As Dr. Meagher says, ‘war is the national default position in the United States.’ In America we tend to think about war as a ‘necessity’ but have spent much less time focusing on what war demands from individuals and communities.”

A pre-conference program will presented by Amy Blumenshine, founder of The Coming Home Collaborative, who will hold a discussion, "Veterans and Their Partners" on Thursday, March 26, at 7:00 p.m. in the UBC room of Haupert Union Building. She will be joined by veterans advocate Carole Reese, chief research officer & director of special projects at Moravian College, who’s spouse is a veteran.

Blumenshine is a Diaconal Minister called by the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA to address the suffering of veterans and their families. She coauthored Welcome Them Home — Help Them Heal; Pastoral care and ministry with service members returning from war (winner of the 2009 Ben Franklin Religious Book of the Year award.)

The conference, which is made possible by a grant through LVAIC, also coincides with this year's InFocus theme at Moravian College. Registration is required. 

Moravian College encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact us, or call 610-861-1400 at least one week prior to the event.

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The mission of the , (LVAIC) is to make strong colleges stronger through collaboration. LVAIC is incorporated as a non-profit, charitable organization whose members include: Cedar Crest College, DeSales University, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Moravian College, Muhlenberg College, Lehigh Carbon Community College, and Northampton Community College. Established in 1969, LVAIC expands educational opportunities for students; offers professional development programs for faculty and staff; engenders greater economy and efficiency in institutional operations; and serves local communities in a variety of ways. Cooperation permits smaller colleges and universities to retain the numerous advantages that flow naturally from humanly-scaled organizations, while providing many of the services usually associated with larger-scaled, less personal institutions.