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Opening Up: A Conflict Transformation Podcast


Dec 16, 2024

At the end of 2024, we mark the end of Laurie Patton's tenure as president of Middlebury by sharing her reflections on conflict transformation, protest, and higher education.

In September, President Patton sat down with Eboo Patel, president of Interfaith America, as part of their programing on Teaching Interfaith Understanding.  Their conversation was posted to Interfaith America's podcast and we reshare the episode here with permission.

Patel and Patton discuss how Middlebury’s campus culture evolved in the years since 2017, when political scientist Charles Murray’s visit was met with upheaval. Patton elaborates on Middlebury’s conflict transformation efforts, including the successes of the Engaged Listening Project, the challenges of countering a national narrative, and the outcomes of building a resilient culture, evidenced by her community’s constructive engagement of tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the spring of 2024.

To hear other episodes in Interfaith America's podcast, click here: https://www.interfaithamerica.org/podcast/ 

Many thanks to Teyonce Allison, Brett Simison, and the Conflict Transformation Collaborative staff for editing and production. Thank you also to Middlebury music professor Damascus Kafumbe for our music.