Lisa Silvestri crowdsources hope through stories of community action in Peace by Peace

December 16, 2024 | by uscpress

When Lisa Silvestri, associate teaching professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State, felt isolated while adjusting to her life as a first-time parent on parental leave, she reached out to her network for stories about people making a difference in their local communities. As she read each response, Silvestri decided she wanted to learn how each of these changemakers got started so she could share practical tips with her students. Silvestri's interviews with eight ordinary people making change through community action later became the basis of her new book, Peace by Peace: Risking Public Action, Creating Social Change.

In Peace by Peace Lisa Silvestri uses interview-based storytelling to explore the catalytic moments that led ordinary people to address social, political, and economic issues in their communities ranging from the West Bank to West Baltimore. The source of their audacity is practical wisdom, an Ancient Greek virtue that Silvestri revives for twenty-first century application.

In the face of challenges like environmental exploitation, global conflict, and ongoing fights for social justice, Peace by Peace offers deeply informed insight into how we can move past debilitating cynicism to create actionable change.

Francisco Tutella, marketing and communications specialist, at Penn State University spoke with Lisa Silvestri about her inspiration for writing Peace by Peace and how anyone can build community by taking small actions.

Read the full article by Francisco Tutella.