Program History
The groundwork for the Alan B. Slifka Program in Intercommunal Coexistence was laid in 1997 with a pilot program, the Brandeis Initiative in Intercommunal Coexistence (BIIC), at the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life. Funded by the Alan B. Slifka Foundation, BIIC included research, courses, fellowships, guest lectures and collaborations with coexistence workers and peacebuilders around the world.
In 2002, a permanent program was established with sustaining funding from the Slifka Foundation.
The Slifka Program in Intercommunal Coexistence consists of four mutually reinforcing components:
- Master's Program in Coexistence and Conflict
- Coexistence Research and International Collaboration
- Coexistence International
- Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence Studies
Since the start of the program in 2002, the Slifka Program has seen many of its intentions come to fruition. There have been several high-impact collaborations with coexistence workers and peacebuilders around the world, and these projects continue under the direction of Cynthia Cohen. There have been publications by faculty on topics of coexistence and peacebuilding. The
Master's Program in Coexistence and Conflict, directed by Mari Fitzduff, is currently in its fourth year with another diverse class of students preparing to become world leaders in the field of coexistence. The undergraduate program, directed by Professor Gordie Fellman, has become
Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence Studies and continues to provide undergraduates with a unique opportunity to learn peacebuilding skills.
Coexistence International (CI), managed by Jessica Berns, is designed to strengthen the coexistence field by empowering coexistence advocates to become effective forces for positive social change.
