About

Leadership Seminars is a competitive, 10-day program on Notre Dame's campus for academically talented students who show impressive leadership within their communities. Approximately 150 students are admitted to Leadership Seminars each year, and students could be eligible to receive one transferable college credit upon completion of the program. Tuition, housing, and meals for students admitted to Leadership Seminars will be paid for by the University. Today's news seems like a litany of catastrophes: wars across parts of Asia, the Middle East, and central Africa; the largest global refugee crisis in modern times; rising intolerance, racism and authoritarianism in Western democracies; poverty and underdevelopment in vulnerable communities; and instability and conflict driven by climate change. This seminar begins by investigating these pressing contemporary challenges, with a focus on war and violence, examining how extremist nationalism coupled with dehumanizing ideologies can engender war and mass atrocities, systemic discrimination, and entrenched poverty and inequality. Focusing on three areas of the world – the Middle East, central Africa and the United States - we explore these problems from a global and local perspective. The second part of the seminar turns to various peacebuilding strategies and actors. We examine how international institutions like the United Nations can promote the rule of law and reduce armed conflict, how nonviolent social struggles can advance justice and lessen discrimination, and how restorative justice practices can help overcome mistrust and reduce conflict in local communities. In this section of the seminar, we address the following questions: How can we work to establish peace in the face of significant societal challenges? What can we do to promote just and equitable social relations? What conceptions of justice undergird existing peacebuilding practices, institutions, and frameworks? With the help of Notre Dame faculty with expertise on a wide range of peacebuilding issues, we will sketch some ways forward. The seminar concludes with a visit to several community peacebuilding organizations in Chicago, where we will learn about practical strategies to mitigate violence and poverty, and build trust and resilience among neighbors.