International Conflict Mediator, Sports Analyst to Speak at USU

Logan, Utah — Perhaps best known for covering the NBA at ESPN, Chad Ford's real passion is peace. For the past two decades, he has devoted time, talent and boundless energy to projects that promote a more peaceful world. He will bring that vision to Utah State University next week for a residency in the Global Peacebuilding Certificate program in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Ford, an international conflict mediator, sportswriter and college professor at BYU-Hawaii, will visit Logan between April 5-8. With generous funding from the CHaSS Tanner Talks, Ford will present a public lecture titled "Transforming Violence into Collaboration" at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in Old Main 326.

Based on his book “Dangerous Love: Transforming Fear and Conflict at Home, at Work, and in the World,” Ford's presentation will engage with the idea that, scary as it may be, humans have to consider “choosing love over fear in the face of conflict.” This concept and the book itself featured prominently in USU's senior capstone course in global peacebuilding this fall.

The instructor of that course, Distinguished Professor Colin Flint, explains the impact of Ford's ideas: “Reading Chad’s book changed the whole dynamic of the class. The students were able to see how making peace starts with your own attitude and your behavior towards other people. Chad shows how anyone can take the first steps to becoming a peacebuilder.”

During his time in Logan, Ford will also offer a faculty workshop and visit classes in history and religious studies. Distinguished Professor Tammy M. Proctor, one of the three co-founders of the Global Peacebuilding Certificate with Flint and Patrick Q. Mason, is thrilled that Ford will visit her global sport history class to talk about how he has combined peacebuilding efforts with hoops (basketball).

“My class has spent a lot of time reading about how sport intersects internationally with war, diplomacy, and politics,” Proctor said, “so this additional conversation about the possibilities of peace should prove really exciting for the students.”

According to Mason, the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture, Ford’s work is on the cutting edge of sustainable peacebuilding and conflict mediation.

“Peacebuilding is characterized by a combination of theory and praxis, and there are very few people who fully embody both sides of that equation as well as Chad Ford," Mason said.

Ford will join Mason's Religion, Violence & Peace class to talk about the interaction of religion and conflict resolution.

Copies of Ford's book will be available for sale at the lecture, and he will appear on Utah Public Radio's Access Utah program at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 7, for those who would like to listen from afar. To learn more about Ford and his work, please visit his website, dangerouslovebook.com.