Diplomacy of Friendship: Heravi Peace Institute Joins Peacebuilding Conference in Uzbekistan

LOGAN — Last month, Utah State University alumni, students, faculty and staff representing the Heravi Peace Institute traveled to Uzbekistan to attend the Diplomacy of the Heart Conference, an international gathering dedicated to intercultural understanding and peacebuilding.

Organized by the Baskerville Institute with sponsorship from the Stirling Foundation, the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, BYU Law, the Heravi Peace Institute and numerous institutions from Central Asia, the event took place in Samarkand from April 27-29.

Celebrating “the dignity of difference,” the conference brought together scholars, students and peacebuilders from across the world to explore how literature, law, religion and youth leadership intersect in global peace efforts.

Sessions also explored the enduring legacy of the Silk Road as a framework for contemporary intercultural dialogue, making the city of Samarkand a fitting and symbolic setting for the gathering.

USU’s delegation included:

• Mehdi Heravi, alum and founding donor of the institute.
• Shannon Peterson, director of global programming and an advisory board member for both Heravi Peace Institute and the Baskerville Institute.
• Austin Knuppe, Heravi Peace Institute director and political science faculty.
• Nora Tavana, Heravi Peace Institute program coordinator.
• Justin Barton, senior development officer for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Emma Martins, an international studies student pursuing the global peacebuilding certificate at USU.

Martins was one of the student winners of the Baskerville Institute’s writing competition and presented her work at the conference alongside peers from other universities. These presentations reflected both scholarly insight and the growing impact of undergraduate peace education at USU, in Utah and abroad.

Overall, Utah State was well-represented among the conference presenters. Knuppe introduced the institute’s interdisciplinary approach to peacebuilding education, emphasizing moral imagination and trauma-informed practices as essential tools for conflict transformation.

Peterson, who is also a professional practice associate professor of political science, presented on the pedagogical power of storytelling, sharing research and reflections from study abroad programs in Rwanda and Cuba, and underscoring the neurological and emotional impact of narrative on learning and empathy.

Martins also offered a student perspective on the value of speech and debate as a platform for dialogue across differences, participating in a youth workshop designed to highlight the role of students as agents of peace.

Heravi’s presence served as a reminder of the impact of philanthropy in advancing peace. His participation not only underscored the Heravi Peace Institute’s mission but also helped facilitate meaningful connections between USU representatives and international partners.

“The HPI’s involvement in the Diplomacy of the Heart Conference provided our faculty, staff and students a unique opportunity to engage with their colleagues in Central Asia on issues of vital importance to peacebuilding, including interfaith dialogue, building social trust across difference, and the role of education in shaping the character and skills of aspiring peacebuilders,” Knuppe said.

In addition to their formal contributions, the USU delegation joined other attendees in site visits to historic mosques and schools in Samarkand and a daylong visit to the historic district of Bukhara.

These cultural engagements complemented the conference’s academic content and deepened relationships among participants from countries represented, like Iran, Uzbekistan and the United States.

This international engagement marks a growing chapter in the Heravi Peace Institute’s mission to foster global partnerships, provide transformative student experiences, and reinforce its role as a convener of cross-cultural dialogue at Utah State and beyond.