Dr. Laura S. Meitzner Yoder is a peacemaker. Whether in remote villages or urban centers in Southeast Asia and Latin America, Dr. Yoder draws on her knowledge of agriculture and rural development to understand socioeconomic inequity and chronic poverty, and to seek the shalom of people and the environment.
In Timor-Leste, for example, Dr. Yoder has researched how rural farmers use land, water, and forest resources and then represented their interests to policymakers.“In all the places where I have worked, I would like to see the priorities, needs, and aspirations of people who live and work in these communities be incorporated into government policy and practice,” Dr. Yoder explains.
Dr. Yoder has also helped others address humanitarian and environmental disasters. Responding to the December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia, she led a social research methods training program at the local state university for over 700 Acehnese professionals, an initiative that contributed to societal healing.
In the face of conflict, the resilience and joy of the people she serves give her hope. Dr. Yoder is quick to note, however: “In ways small and large, ordinary and dramatic, personal and professional, we all have endless opportunities to be peacemakers.”