Get to know us: Chris Jeske

Today we meet cheerful and tech-savvy Chris. If you like our new Web site, he is the person to thank to.

Briefly introduce yourself!

I am a Junior, majoring in Information Technology and Marketing with a minor in African Studies. I am from Kirkwood, Mo. and came to Marquette because I was looking for a mid-size university in an urban environment, and I loved Marquette each time I visited (when it was warm in the summer and when it was bitter cold in the winter).
I am currently interested in environmental issues, especially urban farming. Although I am just getting started in learning about urban farming, I’d love to sit down and talk with you about farming if you are an expert or if you don’t even know what it is.

What exactly do you do for the Center for Peacemaking?

I am the web master and volunteer extraordinaire. I hope you are enjoying the Web site as I have been working on this for more than a year now.
I was also one of the Summer 2009 Szymczak Peacemaking Fellows and am still working on my project which will be completed by the end of this semester. It’s a documentary on race relations in my hometown Kirkwood, Mo after there was a racially charged shooting almost two years ago.

Why did you get involved with peace and nonviolence?

I have been involved in community service and service learning for several years and when I heard of the Center for Peacemaking, I thought that nonviolence might be the next step in my development. Also, I have always had an interest in peace and nonviolence, but I have never had an opportunity to study peace and nonviolence. I am glad that Marquette and the Center for Peacemaking have provided me with this opportunity.

What is the greatest challenge for achieving peace nowadays?

I think the greatest challenge we have for achieving peace now is in our understanding of peace. While most people think of peace as a global issue, I see it as a personal issue. Peace is something that we all need to take personal responsibility for and do our best to achieve peace within ourselves. If we do not first find peace within ourselves, we cannot build peace between each other.

What can common people do to achieve peace? We all believe that only people with power such as politicians can help with peace. What about us?

Definitely! Think of achieving peace individually as a struggle to become a better person. In this sense, peace is a process, not a state. As long as you are engaging yourself in a struggle to become a better person, you are working to achieve inner peace, and when you share your process with others and invite them to join you and you struggle with them, you build a peaceful community.
As for politicians, they have role models too. Although they can recite the prose of famous figures through history, they often tell stories of the struggles the citizens they represent. Share your story with them, ask them if they have a story, and invite them to join you in the struggle for peace.

What do you hope people take away from our events?

I hope that people who visit the Center for Peacemaking – whether it be an event, the Web site, or stopping by to visit – will come away knowing more about the topic of the discussion, inspired to learn more and willing to share what they learn with others. Any nonviolent movement first starts with education.