suadaland

Hello!

This is my first post under People & Inspiration category. As I mentioned in my Psychology Box page, I would interview people from anywhere around the world with all different backgrounds (I will try 😀 ). Just because, every story each person has is simply, inspiring.

So, my first interview is with Dr. Malley-Morrison from Boston University (BU). Dr. Malley-Morrison is a professor of Psychology at Boston University specializing in international perspectives in violence and peace. Dr. Malley-Morrison is also the principal author of engaging peace (www.engagingpeace.com) so if you are interested in peace and want to take part in supporting and spreading peace around the world kindly check out engagingpeace.com as they provide you with interesting stories and posts about peace.

Dr. Malley-Morrison was indeed my mentor when I studied at BU and she really is an amazing personality with so much passion for peace. I am beyond glad and honored to have known her and to have the opportunity to learn and grow with her. Below is my brief interview with Dr. Malley-Morrison. Enjoy!

1. Could you tell me briefly about yourself?

I view myself as an aging hippy, activist for peace and social justice, psychologist, and member of my own and the global family.

2. Can you explain briefly why you decided to focus on peace now while your previous interests were largely in abusive intimate relationship ?

My main focus for decades has been on violence and nonviolence. My more particular focus on family violence grew out of my own research on family relationships and a post-doctoral fellowship I had at
Children’s Hospital on the child maltreatment team. After 9-11, I expanded my work to include violence on a broader scale, including international perspectives on war and peace, but I continue to do research in the area of family violence.

3. What is your personal definition of peace?

on the broader level in which I work, I consider peace to involve the achievement of social justice,
a commitment to living by the Golden Rule.

4. What is your perception of war and aggression?

I think there is too much of both, and we, as human beings, can do better.

5. There is a popular quote by Dorothy Day saying that “Peace begins when the hungry are fed” do you agree with that?

YES–at least I think it is a step in the right direction. I think reducing poverty as part of an overall policy of increasing social justice would be helpful. I do not think reducing poverty is per se another way of reducing violence and achieving peace but I do think it would be part of or a result of a global effort to promote positive peace–the absence of inequality. Eschewing greed would be pretty important too.

6. What is your current project on peace?

I continue to analyze and write papers on the data on perspectives on war and peace that my collaborators and I collected from over 40 countries as well as data collected here in the US.

7. Can you tell me a little about it?

I am working one papers on just war principles and moral disengagement and views on the acceptability of civilian casualties in the “fight against terrorism.”

8. You have a blog, engagingpeace.com, that is focusing on issues around peace. Can you tell me a little about it?

The blog is my main tool, besides signing zillions of anti-war and social justice petitions, to advocate for peace and social justice.

9. What is the challenge that you face while exploring peace as your main research interest?

Getting older and facing retirement when I will no longer have a great group of bright and motivated students like yourself with whom to work. (note: so happy when I see this 🙂 )

10. Could you give me your personal words of wisdom on peace that I could share with others?

Follow the Golden Rule and take the time to promote peace in all the many ways you can–at home, in the community, and as members of an international community.

That is all for now guys. If you have any question at all just send me an email to hello@suadaland.com or if you have questions for Dr. Malley-Morrison, please go to engagingpeace.com. Have a great Tuesday and stay tuned for more interviews!

Cheers 🙂