Careers After Graduation

Regardless of a student's vocational direction, peace studies encourages an imaginative quest for a world free from collective violence and respectful of basic human rights in whatever career.

Peace studies prepares for teaching and research in international peace and world order; cultural, philosophical, and religious dimensions of peace and violence; conflict resolution and dispute settlement; social change for peace, development, and basic human rights.

For students not pursuing research and teaching careers, other professional paths would include: international and national civil servants; foreign service officers, change-oriented military officials; journalists; clergy, religious, lay executives in religious organizations; mediators and specialists in arbitration at local, national, or global levels; conflict resolution in businesses, labor, schools, families; political organizers; leaders in organizations for social change or in international voluntary service organization, lobbyists, and political activists on the local, national, and global levels.

Xavier Center for Career and Leadership Development

http://www.xavier.edu/careerandleadership/career_development/grad_schools.cfm

Graduate Programs Websites

Gradschools.com
http://programs.gradschools.com/usa/peace_studies.html

Graduation Pledge Alliance

Students are invited to take the Graduation Pledge and join with others making the pledge: "I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work." (See peace studies at Manchester College http://ARES.manchester.edu )

Humboldt State University (California) initiated the Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility. It states, "I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work." Students define what being "responsible" means to themselves.

Students at over a hundred colleges and universities have used the pledge at some level, at schools which range in size from Whitman, to Harvard, to University of Wisconsin. This now includes some schools overseas, graduate and professional schools, and high schools. Graduates who voluntarily signed the pledge have turned down jobs they did not feel morally comfortable with and have worked to make changes once on the job. For example, they have promoted recycling at their organization, removed racist language from a training manual, worked for gender parity in high school athletics, and helped to convince an employer to refuse a chemical weapons-related contract. Manchester College now coordinates the campaign effort, which has taken different forms at different institutions. At Manchester, it is a community-wide event involving students, faculty, and staff. Typically, fifty percent of students sign and keep a wallet-size card stating the pledge, while students and supportive faculty wear green ribbons at commencement and the pledge is printed in the formal commencement program. Depending upon the school, it might take several years to reach this level of institutionalization. If one can just get a few groups/departments involved, and get some media attention on (and off) campus, it will get others interested and build for the future. The project has been covered in newspapers around the country(e.g., USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and Boston Globe), as well as being covered in magazines, national radio networks, and local T.V. stations.

The pledge helps educate and motivate one to contribute to a better world. Think of the impact if even a significant minority of the one million college grad uates each year signed and carried out the Pledge. PLEASE KEEP US INFORMED OF ANY PLEDGE EFFORTS YOU UNDERTAKE, AS WE TRY TO MONITOR WHAT IS HAPPENING, AND PROVIDE PERIODIC UPDATES ON THE NATIONAL EFFORT. Contact NJWollman@Manchester.edu for information/questions/comments; or write GPA, MC Box 135, Manchester College, 604 E. College Ave., North Manchester, IN 46962.

Choosing the Good Life

Wounded in battle, Inigo convalesced at the Loyola castle where he alternated between romantic day-dreams and hopes of following St. Francis and St. Dominic in their quest for holiness.  After the thoughts of pleasure and romance, Inigo felt tired and dissatisfied. After dreams of following the saints, St. Ignatius felt at peace.  This was his first experience of discernment of spirits.

Inigo decided to follow Jesus.  His journey had many twists and turns.  Sometimes he went backward.  Eventually, he decided that if he wanted to serve Jesus well, he needed a better education.  He went to school with children to learn the basics of Latin.  Finally, he entered one of the best universities of his day, the University of Paris .  One of the brighter students there was St. Francis Xavier. Inigo led Francis through the same Spiritual Exercises that he had experienced.  With other fellow students, Francis and Inigo created their own opportunity.  Instead of joining the Franciscans, Dominicans, or Benedictines, nine students at the University of Paris together started a new and radical order, the Society of Jesus, and despite his objections, elected St. Ignatius as their first leader.

I suggest at least two steps in choosing a good life. What does the world need? Look around and discern the signs of the times. In the light of your experience, what structures would you like to see in our world in 2030?  Visioning can help us to clarify the greatest and most essential needs and how new essential structures would complement one another and work harmoniously together. What are the greatest needs? What is the most universal good? What would help more people? Can I serve others with my mind? My imagination?  Visioning can be a very helpful on-going exercise.

Look inside and discern your light graced story. What are your strengths? Your values? Your religious convictions? How can you best journey toward your vision?

Match the greater needs with your greater assets. What opportunities do you see? If you don’t feel comfortable with existing opportunities, can you create your own?

Is the starting point of your reflection your love for God, your neighbor, and the earth? How can you make this a better world? Or do you begin with a desire for an expensive home, to be well-off financially, etc. and then say to yourself, “Surely God wouldn’t object to my ambition.”

Each of our eyes has a blind spot.  Since the field of vision of our two eyes overlap, we have a large area of two-eyed vision. The blind spot in one eye is overlapped by a seeing portion of the other eye.  If both eyes are open and functioning, there are no gaps in our visual field. We can have blind spots in our conscience also.  St. Ignatius dealt with these with detailed procedures for spiritual discernment. We best do spiritual discernment with a companion or with a small discerning group such as a Christian Life Community.(see www.clc-usa.org. What we don’t see by ourselves, others can help us with.  Sometimes we may do too little.  At other times we can pretend we’re Paul Bunyan and try to do too much.

Choosing the good life is an on-going process.  It’s one of the most distinctive traits of the human person.  Ignatian spirituality which reflects on one’s light and dark graced story, reads the signs of the times, and visions is one way to continually choose a good life.  (See http://www.clc-usa.org under "Visioning" “Ignatian Spirituality” and Theological Reflection”)

B.J. Urmston, S.J.  March, 2006

Graduate Programs in Peace Studies

A comprehensive list of graduate programs in peace studies:
http://pawss.hampshire.edu/students/grad/index.html
By clicking on the various subheadings, A-C, D-K etc. you get a brief description of the various programs and lin ks to their websites.  In addition to peace studies programs, they also have information on law schools with programs on human rights, international law, environmental law, etc. and information on fellowship opportunities.

A web page on careers and internships in peace studies:
http://pawss.hampshire.edu/students/careers/index.html
A list of peace and justice organizations that one can contact to investigate job openings or internship programs.

A Selected List of: GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN PEACE & JUSTICE STUDIES

If you need further assistance in selecting a program that suits your needs, please contact 

Rev. Benjamin J. Urmston, S.J.
Dorothy Day House, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45207-2910
513-745-3320   urmston@xavier.edu

Page last updated on March 9, 2006
Susan Scarpaci