The Peace and Justice Society (PJS) had been dormant for approximately one semester, but was revitalized with an entirely new executive board during this past winter break. According to co-president and freshman Meredith Bowman, the Student Government Association (SGA) officially recognized PJS on February 5.

The course “Current Issues in Peace, Justice, and Sustainability” was a reoccurring talking point for Bowman and her co-president, freshman Joey Lopergolo. Both students attributed their heightened passion for restarting PJS to this class that was co-taught by Dr. Susan Maxam and Professor Angelo Spillo this past fall.

For others, like PJS vice president and current sophomore Jessica Rose, it was a chance to get more involved on campus.

“As a political science major with a passion for helping others, protecting individuals, invaluable resources, and raising awareness for those causes that just aren’t talked about enough, I felt the PJS would be a footstep in the right direction,” she said.

In terms of the revitalizing process, “reinstating the Peace and Justice Society has not been easy by any means, but it has been so worth it,” Bowman said.

The complications were a combination of trying to reorganize, recruit, and get all the paperwork done in the short time they were had.

The Peace and Justice Society hopes to educate the Pace community on local, national, and international issues regarding peace, justice, and sustainability from a nonviolent approach.

Among the tools and issues they wish to promote are teamwork and cooperation with students on a global scale and the creation of strong connections with local organizers and activists.

“I always felt that the Pace community really needed an outlet for positive change and I saw the potential that the old PJS had,” Lopergolo said.

What we can expect from the group in the upcoming weeks is an event in correlation with International day of Solidarity with Women – which they will be hosting in partnership with the Center for Community Action and Research (CCAR).

Among other issues the team is passionate about is promoting the idea of “buying locally and advocating for those who do not have clean drinking water,” Rose said.

“My main goal is to be able to help others learn, understand and grow. I believe that if we do not confront the issues presented, then there’s no way we can grow as a nation, but in order to solve anything, there has to be some level of education so that we can all understand each other,” Bowman said.

As of now, the group does not have official meeting times, but plans to meet for the first time on February 18 at 9 p.m. The location is yet to be announced. For further information you can email the group at [email protected] or reach out on social media @PeaceJusticePLV.