Rotary Conifer Peace Club

Addressing the Root Causes of Intolerance and Violence Internationally 

Stan Harsha will talk about the root causes of intolerance and violence as well some of the more successful ways these have been addressed in his experience.  Many of the factors at play are universal, applicable also to the United States.  He also will touch upon the devastation caused by human rights atrocities by authoritarian regimes and how thriving democracies were born in Indonesia and Timor L’Este. 

Stan has been involved in peace and tolerance projects over his 28-year career as a U.S. diplomat and in the past eight years since retiring from the Foreign Service.  Most recently, he was a founder of the 1000 Abrahamic Circles project based in Jakarta, Indonesia, which brought together local leaders of Islam, Christianity and Judaism worldwide to travel together for several weeks to each of their communities.  These circles included two rabbis from Denver and well as clergy from Indonesia, New Zealand and Serbia.   

As U.S. Consul General in Sumatra, Indonesia, Stan created a project to maintain peace between members of a former armed movement to secede from Indonesia, and pro-Indonesian government forces, during a time of simmering conflict.  He also managed several projects in Indonesia to promote tolerance among religions, protect religious freedom and address the root causes of terrorism, during a period of sectarian violence and terrorist attacks.  As Chief of Mission in Timor L’Este during a time of riots and armed insurrection against the newly independent Timor L’Este government, he worked with the government and the United Nations Mission to address this violence.