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Editorial: Welcome to the University of Missouri Peace Studies Review

We proudly welcome you to the University of Missouri Peace Studies Review. The journal is a scholarly approach to the University of Missouri-Columbia Peace Studies Program’s mission of "continuing inquiry into ways to achieve peace, peace with justice, and peace through justice by means other than war and violence."

Only a short time ago we completed a century whereby more people received higher education than in all previous centuries combined, while at the same time, more humans were killed by violence than in all previous centuries combined. Though it may well be a superfluous correlation, it is troubling to the editors, who have committed their professional careers to higher education, to note that in the previous century both higher education and death by violence increased dramatically. For some, these simple observations might suggest skepticism about an endeavor as this. We admit to occasional creative brooding when viewing the state of the world. However, we not only believe things can be different, we believe peace research and scholarship can make a difference, and that universities with their sanctioned infrastructure for research and scholarship, can and must be more centrally involved in discovering solutions to the problems of violence. Given the state and nature of violence in the world, we believe peace scholarship, research, and education should be one of the most important missions of the modern academy.

While this journal has its origin in the University of Missouri-Columbia Peace Studies Program, which is lodged in the College of Arts and Science, peace scholarship is not and can not be limited to occupying a narrow specialized niche one typically finds in the contemporary academy. Indeed, the editors have been impressed by the campus wide support and interest in the journal, the breath of a concern for scholarship that focuses on peace, and in particular, the peace scholarship already going on throughout the university. It is on this basis that the editors consider the journal to be a reflection of the scholarship of the entire university. Based on that observation, we therefore made the deliberate choice of including the university’s name in the journal.

The editors are committed to a high standard of scholarship. It is our plan to publish academic papers from across the disciplines and professional schools plus scholarly theoretical and policy papers of leading actors in the world arenas of peace work.

During the first year the journal editors will highlight outstanding scholars from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Beginning the second year of publication, the journal editors will actively seek paper submissions through internet advertisement and issue a call for papers to other university peace studies program. In doing so, the editors anticipate national and international submissions and subscriptions

We are particularly pleased to present Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume’s paper in the inaugural issue, and in turn to have his speech honoring another Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Martin Luther King. The editors are making a concerted effort to have Nobel Peace Prize winners continue to make scholarly contributions to each issue.
Peace Studies Review
53 McReynolds Hall
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO 65211
phone: 573-882-2079
e-mail: hobbsd@missouri.edu or
cowgerc@missouri.edu