The Bob Graham Center for Public Service provides a wide variety of programs for students and the larger public on topics related to public service, public leadership and civic engagement.
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Reconciliation in a Post Conflict Society
March 29, 2016
Special guest Rev. Gary Mason of Belfast, Ireland, spoke at the Bob Graham Center on Tuesday, March 29, at 6 p.m. in the Pugh Hall Ocora. Rev. Mason shared his experiences with leading the reconciliation process with those involved in sectarian conflict. A Methodist minister, Mason directs a conflict transformation organization based in Belfast called “Rethinking Conflict.” He has played an integral role in the Northern Irish peace process and is credited with developing the largest faith-based redevelopment project in Western Europe, now considered the model of coexistence and shared space. Mason has lectured in political and academic forums throughout Europe, South Africa, the Middle East and the U.S. on lessons learned from the Irish peace process.
Rev. Mason has visited Jewish historical sites in Europe in order to develop his understanding of the Shoah and of Jewry’s European history. He has made a personal and professional commitment to developing a deep understanding of Jewish history and culture.
He has been interviewed on CNN, BBC, ITV and various radio programs. He holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Ulster, completed his theological studies at Queens University, and a Bachelor’s in Business Studies from the University of Ulster. Rev. Mason is a Research Fellow at the Kennedy Institute for Conflict Intervention at Maynooth University in Ireland. He is also a visiting faculty member at the Candler School of theology at Emory University in Atlanta lecturing on peace building, the history of the NI conflict, racism, sectarianism and conflict transformation.
The program was sponsored by the Bob Graham Center for Public Service, the University of Florida International Center and the Center for European Studies.
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