For those of us working in the conflict and peacebuilding fields, the announced collaboration between the Peace and Justice Studies Association and Association for Conflict Resolution is very significant. I have long argued that our field has become too fractured with competing groups vying for attention and the participation of those doing similar work. This has led to competition for limited resources, duplication of initiatives, and the inability to leverage in order to draw attention to important issues. I raised this issue in a blog I wrote in 2016. This resulted in the Mosaic of Peacebuilding Networks Project (see attached) which concluded recently.
As a result of this collaboration, a joint conference is now planned in DC in 2020.
Below is the statement from ACR.
Mosaics of Peacebuilding Networks Project Status Update 7.2018