“Peace cannot suddenly descend from the heavens. It can only come when the root causes of trouble are removed.”
— Jawaharlal Nehru
The mission statement of the University of San Francisco
declares its intention to prepare its students to be leaders “who will work for
justice for all people.” In that light, the courses in the Peace and Justice
Studies Program offer USF undergraduates an analysis of conditions that lead to
war and injustice, as well as opportunities to develop a vision for a just and
peaceful society and an appreciation of how they can contribute to that goal.
The possibility of change, as evidenced by the growth in
recent years of democratic governance and nonviolent movements for justice and
freedom, is encouraging. New possibilities for peace and justice have emerged
from the end of the Cold War and the rise of international non-governmental
organizations. Nevertheless, new problems encouraged by entrenched attitudes
and oppressive institutions continue to impede progress towards a more just and
peaceful world. Ethnic violence has increased and the gap between rich and
poor, both in the United States and in the world as a whole, is
growing. Militarism continues, and the destruction of the environment threatens
the very survival of the planet.
With serious concern, but also with great hope, the
Department of Politics sponsors the Peace & Justice Studies Program (PJS),
an interdisciplinary minor, to address global problems and prospects for
change.
