Maggie Thach
Our host, Jenni Prisk, interviews Peace Writer, Maggie Thach Morshed, who tells the story of Glenda Wildschut from South Africa, a Women PeaceMaker at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego during 2015.
Excerpt from Interview
“I think writing is a portal to empathy. Through words people can see a different perspective….Writing is a bridge for people to empathize, and I think that is the key to peacebuilding.”
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Biography of Maggie Thach Morshed
Maggie is an award-winning journalist whose byline has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Fresno Bee, The Sacramento Bee and other news outlets across the country. She is currently at work on a memoir about teaching English in South Korea. Much of her writing revolves around the ideas of immigration, assimilation and identity.
The interview takes place at the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego where Maggie spent concentrated time with Glenda while she was in residence as a Women PeaceMaker in the Institute for Peace and Justice (IPJ).
More About The IPJ Peace Writers
Since 2003, the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (IPJ) at the University of San Diego has welcomed four women peacemakers each year from around the world.
The women reside at the University of San Diego Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies for two months and share their stories, which are documented by four Peace Writers.
These Peace Writers tell their story of living in conflict and building peace in their communities and nations. The Peace Writers interview their PeaceMakers daily and produce a document that includes narrative stories and complementary components, such as a historical summary of the conflict and a table of best practices in peacebuilding as demonstrated by the work of the PeaceMaker.
Monica McWilliams, Chief Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission comments on the importance of this program:
“You are writing women into history. You are making sure their stories are not forgotten. You are making sure those stories are passed on to the next generation.”