LIB444
A Quest for Peace: Contemplative Explorations
How can we understand a quest for peace in our high-tech, competitive world? We'll explore ideas from celebrated peace advocates, many of whom have been nominated for or won a Nobel Prize for Peace. Exemplars include Vietnamese antiwar activist and Buddhist monk Thích Nhat Hanh; civil rights and nonviolent-resistance activist Martin Luther King Jr.; anti-apartheid and pro-LGBTQ rights activists Desmond Tutu and daughter Mpho Tutu van Furth; antiwar activist and environmentalist Jane Fonda; and activist for human rights and education for women and children Malala Yousafzai. Through reflection, stories, poetry and art, we'll contemplate the human quest for meaning, serenity and cultures of peace.
Note: This course involves active learning and sharing ideas and creative expression with peers.
A $50 discount will be applied automatically for adults 55+.
Overview
Location: Vancouver
Duration: 6 weeks
Tuition: $180
Can be applied to:
Liberal Arts for 55+ Certificate
Upcoming Offerings
- Fri, May 10, 11:30 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, May 17, 11:30 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, May 24, 11:30 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, May 31, 11:30 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, Jun 7, 11:30 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
- Fri, Jun 14, 11:30 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. Pacific Time (class/lecture)
Course outline
- Week 1: Introduction to a quest for peace
We adopt a contemplative approach to explore the impact of technology, media, competition, geopolitics and terms such as “war culture” and “culture wars.” We’ll ponder the concept of “quest” across time, space and literature, towards silence and peace, humanity and hope. - Week 2: Humanism, antiwar and a spirituality of peace
Thích Nhat Hanh (1926-2022), a Buddhist monk, poet, author and antiwar activist, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 for his message of nonviolence and resistance to the Vietnam War. We’ll contemplate his ecological humanism, meditative writings on peace and share our reflections. - Week 3: We have a dream
Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance was inspired by Gandhi in India. Dr. King (1929-1968) fought for civil rights, “brotherhood” over segregation, “soul force” over violence, hope over despair. We’ll reflect on the meaning of his work for white and Black America and the world. - Week 4: Post-apartheid and hope
Desmond Tutu (1931-2021), Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1984, and his daughter, Mpho Tutu van Furth, also an ordained priest and author, collaborated in peaceful protest against apartheid and for LGBTQ and human rights in South Africa. We’ll contemplate this work for humanity in our Canadian and global context. - Week 5: Women, peace and protest
Women exemplars of nonviolent protest include American antiwar environmentalist Jane Fonda; Pakistani activist for human rights and education for women and children Malala Yousafzai; Russian activist Yulia Navalnaya; and many others. The organization UN Women focuses on peace and security and upholds the protection of women and girls, recognizing women’s critical and unique role in peace processes. Our contemplation includes stories shared and creative expression. - Week 6: Contemplating a quest for peace—final thoughts
We’ll integrate our findings on the question: “How can we understand a quest for peace in today’s world?” We’ll contemplate perspectives on the human quest for meaning, serenity and cultures of peace. We’ll share our reflections, poetry, writing, photography, art and artifacts.
What you will learn
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Define and interpret the notion of “quest” across a contemplative journey, where peace and practices matter in today’s world
- Trace the evolution of theories towards peace and nonviolence
- Describe the socio-political, environmental and literary significance of “quest” and contemplative expressions towards peace
- Consider how technology and media influences have affected peace-building and contemplative practices
- Reflect on how the natural world offers peaceful sanctuary for the life journey
How you will learn
- Lectures
- Participation in discussions
- Academic and non-academic articles, videos and book excerpts
- Sharing ideas and creative responses to the course material
- Supplementary resources accessed through Canvas
- Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)
Learning Materials
No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.
Technical Requirements
Handouts and other course resources will be available on Canvas, SFU’s online learning system.
To access the resources, you should be comfortable with:
- Using everyday software such as browsers, email and social media
- Navigating a website by clicking on links and finding pages in a menu
- Downloading and opening PDF documents