Graduates
Spring 2008
 Joe Montanez received the MA degree in Peacemaking and Conflict Studies at the Spring 2008 commencement. Pictured with him are members of the PACS faculty.
2006 Graduates
 Hien Vu of Vietnam completed the MA degree in Peacemaking and Conflict Studies, participating in the December 2006 commencement exercises. She is pictured with PACS faculty. As of 2008 Hien is East Asia Program Officer for the Institute for Global Engagement in Washington, DC.
2005 Graduates
 Meserete Kristos church leader Girma Oda of Ethiopia completed the MA degree in Peacemaking and Conflict Studies, he is pictured participating in the December 2005 commencement exercises.
2004 Graduates
Brazilian pastor Ernst Janzen graduated at FPU's first December commencement. He is a pastor and a teacher at Faculdade Fidelis, a Mennonite College in Brazil. A few years ago, Fresno Pacific faculty member Dr. Dalton Reimer visited Brazil and gave a week long course in Conflict Management. This was Ernst's first exposure to Fresno Pacific and the PACS program. Ernst wanted to gain more knowledge and experience in Peacemaking and Conflict Studies in order to be able to work as a peacemaker in Brazil, and to train others to do the same. When Dr. Reimer invited him to study at Fresno Pacific, Ernst, along with his wife and three children, moved to Fresno. In addition to the valuable experience that came with living in another country and experiencing another culture, Ernst prepared a teaching curriculum as his project for the Peacemaking and Conflict Studies program. Entitled "Building Peace: A Teaching Curriculum," his curriculum includes courses in Intrapersonal Conflict, Interpersonal Conflict, Intragroup Conflict, and Intergroup Conflict. Ernst will implement this program at Faculdade Fidelisand, and upon his return to Brazil, he looks forwarding to teaching students, pastors, and other leaders to deal with conflict in a transformative way.
In August 2008 Ernst wrote:
Greetings from Brazil.
Last week I got good news. My first book, about Conflicts was chosen by the Brazilian Association of Christian Publishers in the category of counseling, as the best book from the books written during 2007. It was a surprise for me because there were many other books with excellent authors. The good thing is that now probably more people will read this book and learn about how to deal with conflicts. I am still working on my third book. Probably in September I will send it to the publisher. Our family is doing fine, children are still growing. Shalom, Ernst Werner Janzen Ernst's publisher's web site.
In March 2007 Ernst wrote: Grace and Peace!
Arthur has sent my one of your e-mails about the Mennonite Brethren Global Higher Education Consultation. He invited me to go with him. It would be a great time, to participate on these meetings and to meet my friends at the Peacemaking Center again. I hope that this will be possible.
In April 15, my first book about Conflicts will be available. It was a hard work, but I enjoyed it. I attached the front-cover. I hope it will be a tool to a lot of people to learn how to deal with conflicts. 
To teach and preach in the field of Peacemaking and Conflict Studies is now my day by day. In December Dorothy's uncle visited Brazil and brought me some books that I bought using Amazon. From the bibliography of The little book of Justice and Peacebuilding I bought: Circle Processes, Biblical Justice, Restorative Discipline for schools, Strategic Negotiation, Strategic Peacebuilding and Trauma Healing. I also read A culture of Peace by Alan Kreider. Reading this books helped me to keep my English and to learn and reflect in this field.
My family is doing fine. Now our little Danny (4 years) is going to school too. It is a big change in our family. Today is Dorothy's birthday (39 years) and we invited some neighbors and friends to a little party. Sam and Debbie are growing fine, physically and spiritually. In January we celebrated our 20th anniversary.
Shalom,
Ernst and family
2004
Pictured are May 2004 grads Barry Davis and Rebecca Kliewer with PACS faculty and staff. Not pictured is graduate Sheri Plett Wiedenhoefer. Sheri was the peace and justice staff person for West Coast Mennonite Central Committee at the time of her graduation, and was named Executive Director of WCMCC in June 2006.
MA graduate Barry Davis is involved with many interesting things, including working with the Disability Mediation Center. He writes:
| As mediator at the Disability Mediation Center (DMC) I work with a diverse variety of individuals and organizations. Attempting to address the needs and concerns of the Los Angeles County disability community as well as those in conflict with people with disabilities involves utilizing a broad range of mediation and conciliation skills. These include bridging a variety of communication gaps, goal setting, identifying and exploring underlying interests, overcoming destructive tendencies from the parties and providing a safe place for the parties to open up. Those we work with are often individuals who have been marginalized and/or underserved by other entities and who need an opportunity to address their issues with the other party without engaging in a costly, difficult and often times destructive legal battle. Very often all it takes to resolve an issue and avoid a potentially devastating situation is more productive communication, a better understanding of the other party's situation and possibly some subtle reality checking concerning the rights and responsibilities of each party. This work can be frustrating due the inherent difficulties of mediation as well as the desperate situations of some clients, yet it is also very gratifying to help parties come to agreement on very significant, live-affecting issues such as employment, housing and educational opportunities.
Since 1994, the Disability Mediation Center (DMC) has mediated and conciliated a wide variety of community issues in the disability area, including employment and housing discrimination issues, landlord-tenant relationship and accommodation conflicts, family and domestic conflicts, education-related issues, employment relationship and accommodation conflicts, issues regarding physical access to public places, consumer-merchant relationship and accommodation conflicts, and many other issues common in the community mediation context. The DMC has consistently provided excellent mediation services to those who utilize them. Follow-up surveys reflect an extremely high level of party satisfaction with DMC services; last year 89% of surveyed parties said they would be very willing or extremely willing to use our service again in future conflicts. |
2003 Graduates
Pictured are our MA graduates (l-r) Jill Schellenberg and Roxanne Claassen. Other MA graduates in 2003 are Darren Brassington, Andrica Monique Clark and Anthony Nocella.
Anthony is currently enrolled in a Syracuse University Ph.D. program where he is associated with the Program on the Analysis and Resolution of Conflict (PARC). Anthony is co-author (with Steven Best) of the forthcoming book Terrorists or Freedom Fighters? Reflections on the Liberation of Animals being published by Lantern Books in April 2004. 2003 Graduate Certificate recipients are Jose Chaparro, Oksana Ihnatkova, Sarah Watters-Johnson, Ronald A. Youngdale. Jill Schellenberg continues on staff at the Center for Peacemaking and Conflict Studies where she directs the Criminology and Restorative Justice Studies degree completion program, among other things. Roxanne Claassen is a teacher in the Raisin City school.
2002 Graduates
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Thorborn Baird and Bonnie Redfern received the MA degree. Bonnie Redfern is pictured with her husband Tony. |
2001 Graduates
Douglas E. Noll, Giedre Gadeikyte, and Patty Pistoresi graduated Spring 2001 with the M.A. in Conflict Management and Peacemaking. George Cartwright graduated from the MAAL program with a Graduate Certificate in Conflict Management and Peacemaking. David Vecchio worked as a PACS associate in the Caruthers School District implementing Discipline That Restores. Doug Noll's story of his passage from warrior to peacemaker is chronicled in an article he wrote for Dreamseeker magazine. You can read about Doug's radio show and listen here.
Giedre Gadeikyte (at right) and some of her students at Lithuania Christian College.
Geidre writes (in December 2003) : The last months have been busy, and the routine of work has set in - whereas the first year could be mostly characterized as exciting and overwhelming. Teaching classes for the second or third time gives a different perspective - and brings new challenges. So far Sociology has been the smoothest class - and the second-time Group Dynamics class - the most challenging. The dynamics of the class, the material, and the class structure can make a huge difference.
In that little free time from work, I have been enjoying the cultural life here and the geographical location of Lithuania. Last summer I have been blessed by a wonder-full trip to France. I visited Paris and Bourgogne! I saw both Ille de France and the ville, the modern and old, the busy and the quiet. I went to museums, explored, met friends - it was such a great rest after the exhausting year (and yes it was.). I especially loved Burgundy, - its Medieval towns, fields of vines and sunflowers, and forests. The summer in Lithuania was lovely, too - very warm, and I enjoyed the Sea a lot. While being in France I missed it so much - yes, we can very much get attached to our geographies!
1999 Graduates
Pascal Kulungu, M.A.A.L. and Certificate in Workplace Conflict Management and Peacemaking, left Zaire to attend FPU and went home after graduation to Democratic Republic of Congo. Pascal is currently the Director of the Center for Leadership, Peacebuilding and Good Governance in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is also the chief financial officer of the Christian University of Kinshasa. Pascal's major project was translating PACS' materials into French to use at home. Read Pascal's latest report.
Mary Helen Ortega, M.A. Pupil Personnel Services and Certificate in School Conflict Management, shown at graduation with Professors Dalton Reimer and Ron Claassen. 
Blanca Stransky, M.A.A.L. and the Certificate in Workplace Conflict Management, is pictured here at graduation with Prof. Duane Ruth-Heffelbower. She was a manager for the U.S. Forest Service when she began her studies and planned to remain in that position. > Ken Kaneversky, M.A. Conflict Management and Peacemaking, is pictured at graduation with Dalton Reimer and Ron Claassen. Ken is operations manager of a manufacturing company and works with the VORP program in Visalia along with his private mediation practice. 
Sue Kliewer, M.A. Conflict Management and Peacemaking, is pictured here (center) serving as co-trainer in Atlanta, GA as part of the Refugee Conflict Management Project with Prof. Duane Ruth-Heffelbower. Sue is Director of Human Resources at Fresno Pacific University. 
Ron Shepherd, M.A.A.L. and Certificate in Workplace Conflict Management and Peacemaking, is pictured at graduation with Ron Claassen. Ron works for the Regional Center as an advocate for disabled persons. |