The Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies

The Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies award honors a distinguished advocate for peace, noted humanitarian, or faith leader who is asked to serve in limited residency at the University of Massachusetts Lowell during one semester each year.

The award is named for Rev. Dana McLean Greeley, who was an internationally respected advocate for peace, human rights, and civil rights and a long-time Unitarian Universalist minister in Concord, Massachusetts. The Scholar is selected on the basis of his or her ability to effectively promote the cause of peace and conflict resolution at local, regional, national, or international levels and/or peace and justice studies.

2011 Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies: Leymah Gbowee

The acclaimed African peace activist Leymah Gbowee is the 2011 Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies. Ms. Gbowee organized a peace movement that helped end the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003. As a social worker, she organized the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, bringing together Christian and Muslim women to pray and sing for peace and eventually forcing national leaders to create a peace process. She is now the executive director of the Women's Peace and Security Network Africa, based in Accra, Ghana. In 2007, the Women's Leadership Board at Harvard University's JFK School of Government honored her with the Blue Ribbon Peace Award, and in 2009, she and the women of Liberia were awarded the Profiles in Courage Award by the Kennedy Library Foundation. She is the central character of the award-winning documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell.

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Events featuring the 2011 Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies

Monday, April 4
12:30 - 2 p.m.

The Peace and Conflict Studies Institute’s Annual "Day without Violence" Program

O'Leary Library, Room 222

Sunday, April 10
7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Pray the Devil Back to Hell: Film Screening and Discussion

UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center
50 Warren Street, Lowell, MA

Sunday, April 17
10 a.m.

Community Discussion Forum

First Parish Church
20 Lexington Road, Concord, MA

How Liberian Women Ended the Civil War (with and afterword by Padraig O'Malley)

UMass Boston Chancellor's Conference Room
Quinn Administration Building, 3rd Floor
100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA

Learn more about the 2011 Greeley Scholar activities (pdf)

Get directions using our interactive Google campus maps

About the Greeley Scholar Program

The Greeley Scholar Program is funded by the Greeley Endowment for Peace Studies and was established with a major gift from the former Dana McLean Greeley Foundation for Peace and Justice of Concord and a major contribution from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts via the UMass Foundation.

The Greeley Foundation for Peace and Social Justice is based in Concord and for 20 years has kept Rev. Greeley’s message of peace and justice alive by awarding grants to socially conscious organizations. Throughout its history, the goals of the foundation have been to promote dialogue and leadership; to elevate integrity, compassion, honesty and courage; and to seek creative ways to realize the unifying power of peace.   

"The creation of The Rev. Dana McLean Greeley Endowment for Peace Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Peace and Conflict Studies Institute will continue the work the foundation has been doing for the past 20 years,” said Edward Perry of the Greeley Foundation. "The Greeley Endowment will fund a distinguished advocate for peace, noted humanitarian or faith leader in a limited residency during one semester each year."

For more information about Ms. Gbowee's scheduled events, please contact Seth Izen, program manager for the UMass Lowell Middle East Center for Peace, Development, and Culture by e-mail or phone: 978-934-4307.

For information about PACSI, please contact Prof. Robert Gamache, and for information about the Greeley Scholar activities please contact Paul Marion, executive director of community and cultural affairs by e-mail or phone: 978-934-3107.

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