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About The Center for Peace, Justice, and Human Rights (PJHR)

The Center for Peace, Justice and Human Rights  (PJHR) grew out of the Peace Studies Program which was established at Florida Atlantic University approximately twenty years ago. The commitment of the University to the themes of the Center is profound and led to PJHR being included as one of nine key platforms in the University's current strategic plan. PJHR is a multidisciplinary effort that brings together scholars, practitioners, students and community leaders that are invested in the themes of human rights, peace and social justice. This is a University-wide commitment to issues of global importance that affect the South Florida area.

 

Angela D. Nichols

Angela D. Nichols, Ph.D.

Dr. Angela D. Nichols is the Director of the Center for Peace, Justice and Human Rights (PJHR). She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Nichols earned her Ph.D. in Political Science with subfields in International Relations and Comparative Politics from the University of North Texas. She also holds a B.A. in International Relations from The Pennsylvania State University. Professor Nichols’ research broadly focuses on issues related to human rights and conflict. Her book Impact, Legitimacy, and Limitations of Truth Commissions examines how truth commissions contribute to peace and human rights following periods of conflict or mass abuse. She has published articles in the Journal of Conflict Resolution, International Studies Perspectives, Conflict, Security, & Development, Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict, Civil Wars, and TRAMES: A Journal of the Humanities & Social Sciences. Her analysis can also be found in The Conversation and Political Violence at a Glance. Dr. Nichols’ newest work examines the causes and consequences of women’s engagement in rebel groups. For more information please visit her website: http://angeladnichols.weebly.com/

 
Mission Statement

Who We Are

Launched in 2014, the Center for Peace, Justice and Human Rights (PJHR) grew out of FAU’s highly successful Peace Studies Program, which was founded in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters in 1999. (PJHR) is a university-wide, multidisciplinary, and interdisciplinary effort that brings together scholars, students, practitioners, and community leaders engaged in the themes of social justice, human rights, and peace and nonviolence. 
 
Our collaborative community includes students, university staff, and community partners, as well as almost 100 Faculty Affiliates who represent disciplines from across the university and FAU’s six campuses. Together, we are the diverse faculty, staff, and students at a Hispanic-Serving public university, located at the crossroads of the United States and the Caribbean, who believe it is possible and necessary to create a more just, peaceful, equitable world. Our goal is to create positive change locally, nationally, and internationally by advancing knowledge and bold solutions to social problems through our research, teaching and learning, activism, and community engagement. 

 


Our world faces a host of social, political, public health, economic, environmental, and other challenges that lay bare the ongoing and stark inequalities, inequities, and violence people face all around the world. As we work to meet these challenges, we are committed to upholding the following values:

  • Universal human rights.
  • Equity and social justice
  • Peace and nonviolence.
  • Community engagement.
  • Critical inquiry.
  • Mindfulness.
  • Collaboration and dialogue.
  • Asking difficult questions. 
  • Seeking innovative solutions.

What We Do

We develop innovative approaches to studying and actively advancing peace, social justice, and human rights. PJHR’s main activities fall into the following categories:

  • Excellence in Teaching and Learning


    PJHR offers an undergraduate Certificate in Peace, Justice, and Human Rights. It is designed to complement a major in any field for degree-seeking students and to provide an enriching educational experience for non-degree seeking students. The certificate has a tailored, interdisciplinary curriculum that allows students flexibility to design a program of study that matches their interests and academic objectives. Graduates enter fields such as law, international relations, social and community work, and education, and many go on to graduate school. PJHR also supports our faculty in developing new courses and provides a welcoming environment for our community to discuss and share best practices in pedagogy.  Several units under the PJHR umbrella advance teaching and learning in novel and distinctive ways: the Barb Schmidt Fellowship, the Arthur and Emalie Family Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education (CHHRE), and the Leon Charney Diplomacy Program. The Barb Schmidt Fellowship provides student leaders with a platform to develop the skills and knowledge needed to initiate, execute, and sustain a social movement. The fellowship gives dual-enrolled high school students hands-on experience through peer mentorship and workshops led by social influencers and FAU faculty. Students learn key professional and technical skills that are essential for driving social change while also earning college credit. Meanwhile, CHHRE conducts in-service and professional development for K-12 teachers in southeast Florida, and it promotes respect for all people through studying the Holocaust, genocide, and human rights. Each year, the Center serves more than 500 K-12 teachers and 350 FAU student teachers by offering professional development, travel opportunities, and community programs. Finally, the Diplomacy Program trains student leaders and offers students interested in international affairs unique opportunities to enhance their diplomatic skills. Each year, the Program fields and trains delegations of FAU student diplomats who have successfully competed in diplomatic simulations throughout the United States and abroad. The Diplomacy Program’s students have won multiple awards for their excellence, including several national titles.

  • Innovative Research


    PJHR promotes faculty and student research and collaboration, and we are a model of interdisciplinary scholarly inquiry. We provide student fellowships, as well as research and professional development funds for our Faculty Affiliates. Through our Faculty Working Groups and other activities, PJHR provides space where interdisciplinary collaborations and research can grow and flourish. 

  • Community Engagement


    PJHR seeks to take our scholarship and skills outside FAU’s walls and to draw upon the experience and wisdom of our neighbors by fostering our student, faculty, and staff’s community engagement with the local, national, and international community. These activities include public scholarship, activism, partnerships with external organizations, and public programming. PJHR’s programs, which include guest speakers, workshops, and other events, reflect issues of local and global concern. Past speakers have included Arun Gandhi, Jane Goodall, and the Dalai Lama.