The Just-Peace Leadership Institute (JPLI) is a collaborative partnership between St Mary’s University College, Stranmillis University College, James Madison University (JMU) and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). Its mission is to nurture and empower educational leaders to become agents of change in their local contexts and further afield. From the 6^th-13^th July, seven Masters students from each of the participating institutions engaged in the inaugural, transformative collaboration of the JPLI.

The Masters students, accompanied by Prof Martin Hagan, Dr Claire Connolly, Dr Lisa McKenzie, Prof Patricia Eaton, Dr Edward Brantmeier and Dr Monica Smith-Woofter, spent the first three days of their trip in Washington D.C., where they had a private tour of the Senate, Capitol buildings and the House of Representatives. Additionally, they participated in the Peace Trail on the National Mall, where they met Harry Johnson, the President and CEO of The Memorial Foundation. Mr Johnson promotes awareness of the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial and its core principles of democracy, justice, hope, and love. The final day in Washington D.C. included a training session at the United States Institute of Peace, where the group explored Peace Education initiatives in the Philippines, Afghanistan, and Myanmar. Each participant received a comprehensive Peace Education Toolkit to implement and adapt in their schools, aiming to advance Peace Education in Northern Ireland.

The remaining four days of the trip were spent in the city of Harrisonburg, Virginia, at the JMU campus. During this time, each student led a workshop on various topics, including leadership priorities, peace education, social justice, equity, and inclusion. They also visited the Lucy Simms Centre, where Mayor Deanna Reed shared Lucy Simms’ inspiring journey from enslavement to emancipation and her lasting legacy as an educator.

The concluding workshop took place at JMU Farm, an idyllic setting for a day of reflection. Faith leaders from the Jewish, Mennonite, and Quaker communities shared uplifting messages of hope, providing a fitting end to a transformative experience.

One of the most rewarding outcomes of the trip is that a group of strangers became a group of friends, with collaborations destined to extend far beyond the Summer of 2024.