Caux Scholar Program
About
The Caux Scholars Program (CSP) is an annual 21-day residential program, fostering peacebuilding, conflict resolution, restorative justice, and narrative transformation by providing practitioners with a unique and immersive learning experience.
For over three decades, Caux Scholars Program (CSP) has shaped changemakers in Switzerland and India. This year, for the first time, we brought that experience to Porto Alegre, Brazil — an opportunity to reimagine the program in a new cultural landscape, enriched by the history and resilience of Latin America.
At CSP, we believe in the power of interconnectedness and the value of diverse perspectives. Our program brings together a global network of multi-sector experts, representing a rich tapestry of cultures, beliefs, languages, educational backgrounds, and religious affiliations. With over 1,000 alumni from 100+ countries, our community of scholars embodies the spirit of collaboration and inclusivity.
The Casa Marista in Porto Alegre, with its serene and contemplative environment, offered scholars a space to reflect on their personal and professional journeys. It is a place where commitment to honest accountability, service towards building inclusive and just communities, and securing health and wellness practices for oneself and others is nurtured.
Critically, CSP aims to expand space for global South, diasporic, and indigenous methodologies and practices in peacebuilding and justice. We recognize the importance of inclusivity and equity in sharing world knowledge and fostering intergenerational peace and justice movements. Our scholars are at the forefront of growing innovations in restorative justice and conflict transformation models that speak to the times and inspire connectedness and collaboration.
Through its comprehensive curriculum, immersive experiences, and commitment to transformative leadership, CSP empowers individuals to address complex conflicts, foster sustainable development, and create positive change in their communities. It inspires scholars to become agents of peace, justice, and reconciliation, shaping a future where conflicts are transformed into opportunities for a more inclusive, just, and harmonious world.
Program Objectives
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To nurture individuals with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to become effective agents of peace in a conflict ridden world.
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To provide interdisciplinary learning experiences that showcase a comprehensive understanding of a range of peacebuilding disciplines and practical approaches to conflict transformation in bringing sustainable peace.
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To invite and involve peace workers from diverse socio-economic, national, and religious backgrounds. To be inclusive of all gender, sexual and racial identities. To make it accessible for activists coming from challenging financial backgrounds.
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To foster a global network of peacebuilders and equip them with meaningful connections in the field.
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To foster a global network of peacebuilders and equip them with meaningful connections in the field.
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To create a safe space by encouraging self-reflection, promoting accountability, and fostering a commitment to building inclusive and just communities.
Academic Director
Dr. David Anderson Hooker PhD, JD, M. Div. is the Founder and Principal Narrator for Counter Stories Consulting, llc. Counter Stories engages as a conversation and visioning partner with international, national and local civil society organizations, religious groups, organization leaders, and social entrepreneurs to craft narratives of their preferred futures and align organizational structures and internal practices in furtherance of their constructed narratives.
For almost 40 years, Hooker has served as mediator, restorative circle steward, facilitator, community builder, scholar, and advocate. Hooker’s primary focus is in the role of narratives for the transformation of multi-party disputes and post conflict community reconciliation, especially those conflicts where race, gender, class, religion, and other socially constructed variables significantly impact the disputed context. Hooker is the author of The Little Book of Transformative Community Conferencing, co-author of Transforming Historical Harms and author of several chapters and articles considering the roles of narratives in identity formation and multi-generational trauma, and restorative justice.
Hooker is formerly a Professor of Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame (2016-2021) and Senior Fellow for Community Engagement Strategies at the J. W. Fanning Institute for Leadership at University of Georgia (2010-2015).
