Office Contact Information
Alan B. Slifka Program in Intercommunal Coexistence
MS 086 Brandeis University
P.O. Box 549110
Waltham, MA 02454-9110
(781) 736-5001
(781) 736-8561 (fax)
coexistence@brandeis.edu
What Is Coexistence?
Coexistence describes societies in which people and institutions embrace diversity for its positive potential, actively pursue equality, recognize their interdependence and address conflicts in constructive ways. Coexistence is sustainable when individuals, groups and institutions align behind a just and inclusive vision for the future.
The causes of violent conflict are many, and the responses must be strategic and multipronged. The greatest promise for achieving sustainable peace can be found in a “complementary approach,” i.e., strategic collaborations among the fields such as governance, development, immigration, gender equity, human rights, transitional justice and the arts, with the perspectives and values of coexistence.