Over the course of the 2023-2024 academic year, the Berkley Center’s work addressed ways forward in a divided world. The outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine were only the most visible examples of devastating violence on the rise around the globe. The UN and other international institutions proved increasingly powerless in the face of both rising nationalism, often wedded to religious extremism, and prominent global challenges, ranging from climate change and economic inequality to the refugee crisis.
Highlights include:
- The launch of the Georgetown Global Dialogues (GGD), a multiyear effort to bring prominent intellectuals from the Global South into conversations about how best to address global challenges. A university-wide effort led by the Berkley Center, GGD sponsored a week of dialogues on campus bringing international thinkers into conversation with faculty, students, and U.S.-based thought leaders.
- The Berkley Center’s Culture of Encounter Project continued to promote a positive role for religious communities in addressing global divisions and promoting common solutions. Working groups on global refugees and children’s issues brought together diverse stakeholders to assess political divisions in both areas and to propose constructive ways forward.
- Other key initiatives this past year included the launch of the Women Faith Leaders Fellowship, a 10-month professional development opportunity for Catholic sisters in Africa; a gathering of Catholic scholars and leaders to take stock after the first session of the Synod on Synodality in Rome; and the ongoing work of the Berkley Forum, which fosters online dialogue around issues of religion, peace, and world affairs.
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