Carl Stauffer
After completing his university education in 1985, Stauffer worked in the Criminal Justice and Substance Abuse fields. In 1994, Stauffer became the first Executive Director of the Capital Area Victim-Offender Mediation Program in Richmond. In 1994, Stauffer and his family moved to South Africa under the
auspices of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a faith-based
international relief and development agency. In South Africa, Stauffer
worked with various transitional processes such as the Peace Accords,
Community-Police Forums, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and
Local Community Development structures. From 2000 to 2009, Stauffer was
appointed as the MCC Regional Peace Adviser for the Southern Africa
region. His work has taken him to twenty African countries and ten other
countries in the Caribbean, Middle East, Europe, and the Balkans.Stauffer’s academic interests focus on narratology, transitional justice, and post-war reconstruction and reconciliation. His research concentrates on the critique of transitional justice from a restorative frame, and the application of hybrid, parallel indigenous justice systems.
Publications
• “Narrating the Spirit of Justice” Paper Presentation – Conference: ‘The Politics of Restorative Justice in Post-Conflict South Africa and Beyond’, Cape Town, South Africa – (Sept. 2006). Published in South African Law Journal: Acta Juridica , Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town, Juta Press Ltd. (2007).
• “Community Reconciliation: Reconstructing Self & Others in Harmony” A Reintegration Training Package for Ex-Combatants and the War Affected – (2007). Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, (South Africa) and Forum of Conscience (Sierra Leone), (2007).
• “Shifting Paradigms: Engaging in Peaceful Change in Southern Africa”, July-October 2008, Writer and Compiler. MCC Peace Office Publication – July-October 2008 Volume 38, Number 3.
• PEACE PATHWAYS Editor, writer & compiler – launched in 2005.
Quarterly E-Newsletter of the MCC Regional Peace Network, located at: www.mcc.org/southafrica/peacepathways.
• “A Peace Building Resource Pack” Three Training Manuals – written and compiled in 2002 Centre for the Study of Violence & Reconciliation – CSVR, (2002).
• “Nurturing the Tree of Peace” Written in 2002 for the African Peace-building Institute Published in the MCC Peace Office Publication, Jan-March, 2002, Vol. 32 -1.
• “Survivor Offender Mediation and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission” Written in 1996. Published by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation – CSVR (1996).
Scholarly Presentations
• “Remembering without Revenge”, Human Security Forum, Initiatives for Change, International, Caux, Switzerland – July 15, 2011.
• “Building Justice: Transitional, Restorative and Indigenous Approaches in Post-war Contexts”, Torture Abolition and Support Services Coalition (TASSC), Washington DC, June 22, 2011.
• “Let Justice Roll Down: The Evolving Field of Restorative Justice”, Eastern Mennonite University, Restorative Justice on Campuses Conference, Harrisonburg, Virginia – March 2011.
• “Walking in the Fire: Doing Reconciliation in the Aftermath of Severe Violence”, Wheaton College, Center for Applied Christian Ethics (CACE), Wheaton, Illinois – January 24, 2011.
• “Paradigms of Collective Life: Reflections on the Mennonite and Anabaptist Experience”, Anabaptist Center for Religion and Society (ACRS), Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia – March 23, 2010
• “The African Church as Provocateur for Change: Re-Imaging Development ”, Faith & Development Conference, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan – Feb. 6, 2010.
• “Narrating the Spirit of Justice”, International Conference: Restorative Justice: Politics, Policies, & Prospects – Cape Town, South Africa – September 2006.
• “Back to the Future – Deconstructing the Past and Reconstructing the Future”, International Conference entitled: The German Herero War – One Hundred Years After, 1904-2004: Realities, Traumas, and Perspectives, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia – November 18-21, 2004.
• “Life After Trauma – Resuscitating Wholeness in the Child Soldier”, South African Institute for Traumatic Stress (SAITS) – Johannesburg, South Africa – 2001.
Other Presentations
• “Reconciliation and the Transition in South Africa”, Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community, Harrisonburg, Virginia – June 26, 2011.
• “Peacebuilding in Africa”, Park View Mennonite Church Sunday school classes, Harrisonburg, Virginia – May 8 & 15, 2011.
• “International Development” and “Conflict Transformation” in two undergraduate classes, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois – January 24, 2011.
• “Restorative Justice”, Bridgewater Church of the Brethren – Adult Sunday school class, Bridgewater, Virginia – July 11, 2010.
• “Reflections on Restorative Justice”, Eastern Mennonite Seminary chapel, Harrisonburg, Virginia – March 4, 2010.
• “Stories of Peace, Justice and Reconciliation in Africa”, CJP ‘brown bag’ luncheon, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia – February 25, 2010.
• “From the Ground Up: The Church Building Peace in Africa”, International Conference of Christians for Peace in Africa – Johannesburg, South Africa – 2009.
• “Government of Iron – Governments of Clay: Daniel’s Challenge to Engage the State”, Real Life Conference – Influencing Government Track – Johannesburg, South Africa – 2008.
• Presenter – Swaziland Association for Crime Prevention & the Rehabilitation of Offenders (SACRO), Mbabane, Swaziland – 2004.
• “Sitting in the Fire: Stress and Trauma Healing”, Salvation Army, Johannesburg, South Africa – 2003.
• Presenter – Association of Christian Lay Training Centres in Africa (ACLCA) – Accra, Ghana – 2000.
• Presenter – World Council of Churches (WCC) – Harare, Zimbabwe – 1998
• Presenter – European Conference on Peacemaking & Conflict Resolution – (ECPCR), Varna, Bulgaria – 1996.
• Presenter – South African Association of Conflict Intervention -(SAACI) -1995, 1997.
Church, Community and Professional Service
• Academic Director – Caux Scholars Program – Caux, Switzerland – July 3-31, 2011
• Board Member – Gemeinschaft Home – a therapeutic community and transitional home for people coming out of prison, Harrisonburg, Virginia – July 2010 to present.
• Reference Committee Member of the Restorative Justice Initiative, Fairfield Center, Harrisonburg, Virginia – 2010 to present.
• Co-founder – Africa Peacebuilding Institute (API)
Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation, Kitwe, Zambia – 2001 – 2009
• Co-founder – The Restorative Justice Initiative (RJI)
National Association for Restorative Justice Practitioners in South Africa – 35 Member bodies, Pretoria, South Africa – 2001-2009.
• Co-founder – Victim-Offender Conferencing (VOC) Project
Johannesburg, South Africa – 1999 – 2001.
• Co-founder – Survivor-Offender Mediation (SOM) Network
Coalition of 22 NGOs,churches & individual practitioners offering a restorative justice service to the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa – 1995-1997.
• Facilitator & Program Consultant – Ex-combatant Reintegration Programs, Mennonite Central Committee – Eastern Europe, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina - 2009.
• Planning Consultant & Presenter – Great Lakes Initiative – Duke Center for Reconciliation – Uganda & Burundi - 2007-2009.
• Faculty – School of Reconciliation, University of the Nations, South Africa & England – 2004-2008.
• Instructor – Mindanao Peace-Building Institute (MPI), Davao, Philippines – 2007.
• Lead Facilitator / Consultant – Nonviolence Training and Advocacy, Christian Alliance of Zimbabwe (CA), Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – 2004-2009.
• Co-facilitator – Prophetic Peacemaking for Pastors Seminar Co-Facilitator, South Africa – 2004-2006.
• Lead Facilitator – Transitional Justice and Ex-combatant Reintegration, Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation & The Forum of Conscience, Sierra Leone & South Africa – 2006-2007.
• Co-facilitator – Peacebuilding Training, World Vision & Evangelical Fellowship of Churches, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2003.
• Co-trainer – Nonviolent Strategic Action, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), South Africa – 2003
• Lead Instructor – Global Lay Leadership Training in Peacebuilding, World Council of Churches, Cyprus – 2002.
• Lead Facilitator – Training in Security of Tenure Act, South African National Land Committee, Cape Town, South Africa - 2001.
• Project Coordinator – Rural Community Conflict among 35 villages, Eastern Cape Council of Churches, Majola, South Africa – 2001
• Consultant/facilitator – Team Building and Conflict Resolution Coaching – SOS Children’s Village, Pietermaritz-burg, South Africa – 2001.
• Consultant/facilitator – Strategic Planning and Conflict Coaching, Khulamani Support Group (Survivors of political violence), Johannesburg, South Africa – 2001.
• Trainer – Conflict Management Skills, Boystown Juvenile Facility, Magalisburg, South Africa – 2000.
• Lead Trainer – Conflict Resolution program for At-Risk youth, Conquest for Life, Westbury ‘Coloured’ Township – 2000.
• Mediator – Automobile Association of South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa – 2000
• Lead Facilitator – Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding training, Swaziland Council of Churches, Manzini, Swaziland 2000.
• Lead Facilitator – Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding training, Angola Council of Churches, Luanda, Angola – 2000.
• Lead Facilitator – Literacy and Peacebuilding Program, ABC Development, Guinea, and Sierra Leone - 2000.
• Delegation Member – Exploratory trip to recommend Trauma Healing initiative, Quaker Peace Committee & American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, & Uganda -1999
• Coordinator & Lead Facilitator – Training in negotiation and mediation skills, Centre for Peace Education – University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa -1998
• Co-trainer/consultant – Gender, Development and Peacebuilding, Government Department of Agriculture & Oxfam, South Africa -1999.
• Lead Facilitator – Training on Security of Tenure Act, Government Department of Land Affairs, South Africa -1998.
• Lead Facilitator – Community Conflict Training, Local Government – Gauteng & Northwest Provinces, South Africa – 1997.
• Co-trainer – Reconciliation with Hutu and Tutsi Refugees, United Nations High Commission on Refugees, Manzini, Swaziland – 1996
• Delegation Member – Five Country tour in Southern Africa region: Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, Human Scale Development Network of South Africa – 1995.
• Lead Trainer / Consultant – Department of Safety and Security, Gauteng & North-west Provinces of South Africa 1994-1995.
• Community Peace Committee Mediator - Bekkersdal Township on the West Rand of Johannesburg City – 1994-1995
• Co-facilitator – Taxi Violence Project – Joint Monitoring Committee, Soweto Township, Johannesburg, South Africa 1994-1995.
