Dean Bartoli to Lecture on Peace at Local Church
By Daniel Garay
Web Editor
Dr. Andrea Bartoli, the Dean of the School of Diplomacy and International Relations, will speak at the First Presbyterian and Trinity Church in South Orange on April 24. His lecture, entitled “Efforts in Advancing Peace in a Very Troubled World,” will be the second in the Yamba/Manley Lecture Series.
The series began last year in honor of local community leaders Dr. A. Zachary Yamba and Robert Manley. Dr. Yamba is President-Emeritus of Essex County College, while Robert Manley is the founder and president of the Center for Globally Responsible Political Thought and a former professor of political science at Seton Hall University, according to a press release by the Church.
Dean Bartoli, as many on campus are familiar with, is an expert in conflict resolution serving more than two decades in peacemaking missions in Africa, Asia, Central America, and the Balkans. In addition to serving as Dean of the School of Diplomacy, he has been the Permanent Representative of the Community of Sant’Egidio to the United Nations since 1992.
“When I look at the world, I look at a world that is not exactly at peace,” Dr. Bartoli said according to the press release. “I’m used to seeing the world as bloody and difficult and violent as it is. But I cannot stop reading that as a desire of us as human family to actually live in peace, to actually find peace, to find a way in which peace can emerge.”
According to congregation members familiar with the event, Dr. Bartoli was invited to the event as well. “We felt that when it comes to issues of peace, it all starts at local level. We are always examining matters of peace as a whole since we are a world-minded congregation,” Maria Ricardo, a member of the church, explained. “We are always trying to address matters across the world.”
The First Presbyterian and Trinity Church, led by Rev. Valencia Norman, has been supportive of programs that reflect the diversity and mission of the community. They have also been involved in refugee programs such as the Darfur Rehabilitation Project in Newark and First Friends of New Jersey and New York. These actions in addition to the lecture series is part of making Church more than a Sunday duty, and make it a more open and fulfilling experience.
Dr. Bartoli’s lecture will take place on April 24, from 3:00PM to 5:00PM at the church. First Presbyterian and Trinity Church is located on 111 Irvington Avenue in South Orange. Refreshments will be served. All are welcomed to attend.
