Michael Abkin, Ph.D., is Director of Operations of the National Peace Academy. He previously served as Director of Operations at Peace Partnership International and, before that, as Special Projects Coordinator for The Peace Alliance and its campaign for a U.S. Department of Peace. In his former academic and private sector technical career, Mike applied systems analysis and simulation modeling for international agricultural development and air transportation, including projects that took him to Nigeria, Korea, Austria, and Venezuela. Then, at the Foundation for Global Community, Mike designed and facilitated courses related to personal and cultural transformation and sustainability, developed a vocational training program in Afghanistan, and was project manager for the Foundation’s program at the 2004 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Barcelona. Mike taught high school French and mathematics with the Peace Corps in Nigeria and has volunteered at home with local nonprofits, city government, and political movements.

[1]           See http://www3.unesco.org/iycp/ and http://decade-culture-of-peace.org/

[2]           See http://www.cultureofpeace.org/

[3]           See http://www.mfp-dop.org/

[4]           See http://www.nationalpeaceacademy.us/

[5]           See http://www.thepeacealliance.org/

[6]           The Earth Charter articulates a set of principles that serve as a compact between humanity and Earth, of which humanity is a part. It was created over a five-year period, 1995-2000, through many iterations of an inclusive, worldwide, consultative drafting process. Therefore, this definition of peace has been vetted extensively and globally and has thereby achieved some acceptance. See http://www.earthcharterinaction.org

[7]           National Peace Academy, “The National Peace Academy: Modeling the Principles and Processes of Peace,” http://www.nationalpeaceacademy.us/files/resources/purposeprinciplesprocesses.pdf

[8]           See http://www.merriam-webster.com/netdict/right

[9]           See http://www.thefreedictionary.com/right

[10]          Adapted from World Health Organization, Violence Prevention Alliance. See: http://www.who.int/violenceprevention/approach/definition/en/index.html