Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice

12/17/2025

Frank Wyer joins the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice as a Residential Fellow from 2025-2026! At the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, he is pursuing a set of projects exploring the attitudes and behaviors of civilians during public security crises. Read more:

Frank Wyer joins the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice as a Residential Fellow from 2025-2026. Read on to learn more about Frank and his work.

12/12/2025

Check out our latest Women PeaceMakers report! 🕊

Diaspora communities have long played critical roles in peacebuilding efforts in their countries of origin, yet the contributions of women within these communities remain significantly underexplored and underappreciated.

This report seeks to address this gap by focusing on the unique roles, challenges and contributions of women in diaspora-led peacebuilding initiatives. Women in the diaspora — often navigating complex identities and facing distinct challenges — are vital actors in promoting peace, reconciliation and social change in their homelands.

Drawing on a comprehensive review of literature, research interviews, and detailed case studies, this report provides a nuanced understanding of how diaspora women contribute to peacebuilding efforts, particularly in conflict-affected regions.

Read more: https://hubs.la/Q03Y0br90

11/26/2025

And with that, the Women PeaceMakers 2025 residency is complete! 🕊️

For two weeks, we hosted a new cohort of Women PeaceMakers at the University of San Diego. During this annual residency, Women PeaceMakers Estefanía Castañeda Pérez and Lilian Olivia Orero spoke at events and Kroc School classes, prepared to conduct original research, and connected with the community. Now that this year’s residency is complete, the Women PeaceMakers will continue meeting virtually to plan their research on borders, gender, and violence reduction. ☮️

Read more about the Women PeaceMakers residency: https://hubs.la/Q03VZpts0

11/25/2025

On Saturday, Kroc IPJ Program Coordinator Tori Luna joined the Peacemaker Project partners and other community-based organizations at the Turkey Giveaway and Resource Fair at the Joe and Vi Jacobs Center in San Diego. One thousand families were given free turkeys and groceries and were connected to over 40 community resources.

At the Kroc IPJ, we serve as the evaluation partner for the City of San Diego's Peacemaker Project, which is focused on creating a holistic approach to preventing violence in San Diego.

This community-building event was a great example of the crucial services provided by community-based organizations!

City of San Diego Community Wraparound Union of Pan Asian Communities-UPAC Open Heart Leaders Core 6 Youth Empowerment

11/24/2025

Lilian Olivia gave a lecture on Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) in Practice at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, University of San Diego, sharing how SafeOnline Women Kenya -SOW-Kenya developed the TechSecure Literacy Curriculum through fully participatory methods. Instead of designing a program in isolation, every module and activity was co-created with women in our community. Using , participants documented their online safety experiences through photos and collectively analyzed recurring patterns. Through storytelling, women created their own multimedia narratives about technology-facilitated GBV, choosing whether to share them publicly or privately. Through , participants used visual art to explore how digital violence is felt and carried in the body. Women PeaceMakers

11/24/2025

11/24/2025

Thanks to Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Lilian Olivia is grateful for the opportunity to share her work at SafeOnline Women Kenya -SOW-Kenya, and even more grateful for the welcoming space created.

11/24/2025

We need programs like the Women PeaceMakers Fellowship because women are the backbone of peace work, yet they remain the most underfunded, undervalued, and unsafe. Peace is changing. Conflict is changing, and the burdens women carry are changing too. This fellowship ensures that women peacebuilders are not only supported but connected, protected, and equipped to transform their communities. Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice

11/17/2025

KSDY Channel 50 highlighted this year's cohort of Women PeaceMakers who are working to reduce violence at borders. One of the Women PeaceMakers, Estefanía Castañeda Pérez from Mexico and the United States, is committed to finding solutions to reduce emotional and psychological violence at the Mexico-US border.

Read the article in Spanish: https://hubs.la/Q03TBdMz0

San Diego | Estefanía Castañeda, investigadora en Pensilvania y tijuanense de corazón, fue la primera latina seleccionada en el Foro Anual Women PeaceMakers, una iniciativa del Instituto por la Paz y la Justicia Joan B. Kroc en la Universidad de San Diego. El tema de esta edición fue “Frontera...

11/15/2025

UPDATE: New location for this event due to expected rain! ☂️

Calling all University of San Diego students! 📣 Join us for an interactive afternoon with the 2025 Women PeaceMakers Fellows to explore the theme of Invisible Borders: how barriers shape our lives and how connection, creativity, and reflection can help us move beyond them. The event will feature a student-led panel, interactive activities, and space for dialogue and reflection. Lunch will be provided!

📅 Monday, November 17
⏰ 3:00-5:00 pm
📍 KIPJ EF

Register: https://hubs.la/Q03TnB3G0

11/14/2025

We invite University of San Diego students, faculty, and staff to join us for a Women PeaceMakers Lunch Lecture featuring Lilian Olivia Orero from Kenya! She will discuss using Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) in practice. 🕊️

Lilian Olivia Orero is a Gender and Technology Lawyer and the Founder of SafeOnline Women Kenya. She works to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence through legal advocacy, feminist policy reform and digital innovation, including overseeing the AI-powered "SafeHer" app. Olivia challenges the gendered architecture of digital spaces, reframing them as platforms for peacebuilding and safety rather than control and harm.

📅 Tuesday, November 18
⏰ 12:30-1:30 pm
📍 KIPJ 249 & Zoom

Light lunch will be provided for in-person attendees!

Register now: https://hubs.la/Q03TlLxg0