Raymond and Florence Sponberg Professor of EthicsDr. Loramy Gerstbauer, Professor of Political Science
I am delighted and honored to be the Raymond and Florence Sponberg Professor of Ethics. I am a professor of Political Science and also contribute to interdisciplinary programs of Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies; Latin American, Latino, Caribbean Studies; and African Studies. All of the courses I teach have ethical components and challenge students to think about their own values in relation to our global order, the role of the United States, and institutions and policies that uphold justice and freedom.
My research is in international peacebuilding, particularly looking at the role of nongovernmental organizations in post-conflict scenarios. Recently I’ve also been researching reconciliation and transitional justice, with a particular focus on US foreign policy. This resulted in a book: US Foreign Policy and the Politics of Apology (Routledge 2017).
At Gustavus I have been involved in planning the annual Mayday! peace conference. Beyond these, my time as Sponberg Chair will focus on international peace and justice issues through my work with Model United Nations and as a board member of Peace and Hope International.
Model United Nations. The United Nations was founded to build a more peaceful and just world order. Gustavus has a Model United Nations student club which usually participates in at least two conferences each year. In 2017 I began offering a course to help students prepare for Model UN conference; many colleges do offer credit-bearing preparatory classes for Model UN participation. My course has some unique components, incorporating not just a study of the United Nations but also the idea of citizen diplomacy and vocational reflection by students related to this concept. There are some exciting ways to continue building on the program into the future.
Peace and Hope International. As part of my own professional development and service, I joined the board of Peace and Hope International in August 2018. Peace and Hope is an “organization that works in Latin America alongside individuals, families, and communities in poverty, so that they can live with dignity, free from violence and injustice.” Issues of concern for PHI are children at risk, indigenous communities, peacebuilding, violence against women and children, and natural disasters. They work in the Andean region of Latin America, with partner offices in the US. PHI also partners in their work with Andemos – an international volunteer program which works primarily with college students. Peace and Hope International, in its pursuit of justice in Latin America, relates to my long-term research interests in post-conflict peacebuilding and political reconciliation. I hope to build some connections between PHI and Gustavus.