Our Team
Prof. Dr.
Fernando Enns
Andrés
Pacheco Lozano
Fernando's research focuses on peace and justice from a theological and ethical perspective. Being rooted in a peace-church tradition himself and educated as a systematic theologian in the Christian tradition, Fernando trys to address the issues of peace and justice in a dialogical manner: in dialogue with other Christian traditions (ecumenical), with other religions (inter-religious) and non-believers as well as with other disciplines (inter-disciplinary).
This creates new wisdom for peace-building and transformative justice in praxis. Along that line of thought, the challenges and opportunities of and for processes of reconciliation become predominant, as well as the search for spiritual roots within the faith traditions to pursue a just peace.
His involvement in international ecumenical settings, like the World Council of Churches, continues to stimulate his research and put it to test in that intercultural and public arena.
Bibliography Prof. Dr F. Enns
Andrés Pacheco Lozano is the Assistant to the Chair of Peace-Theology and Ethics, and serves as a Research Associate in the Amsterdam Center for Religion and Peace and Justice
Studies (ACRPJ). He finished his PhD for the Faculty of Religion and Theology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 2020, on the theme: Towards a Theology of Reconciliation: A
Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace to Heal Broken Relations in Colombia. Andrés contributes to the organization and convening of different research groups, as well
as teaching and co-coordinating in the one-year Master Specialization program on “Peace, Trauma, and Religion” at the VU-Faculty. His research focusses on the challenge of reconciliation in Colombia, which has become an issue of special importance as a result of the “peace negotiations” and the “peace-accord” between the FARC guerilla group and the Colombian government.
In addition to his involvement with the ACRPJ, Andrés is serving as Acting Coordinator of the
emerging Global Anabaptist-Mennonite Peace Network (GAPN) in collaboration with the
Peace Commission of Mennonite World Conference (MWC).
Andrés is originally from Colombia. Being a member of the Mennonite Church, he has worked with different faith-based organizations and communities on nonviolence and peacebuilding in different locations of Colombia. More recently, he has currently he has served as a consultant at several conferences of the World Council of Churches.
Daniel Serrano-Bernal is an associate of the ACRPJ and coordinator of the alumni of the master specialisation program Peace, Trauma, and Religion (PTR). Graduated from the
Divinity Master by the Mennonite Seminary at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) with a specialisation on ‘Peace, Trauma and Religion’. Currently Daniel is aware of how to keep communication channels within the PTR alumni, students, and teachers, due to the religious,
gender, and ethnic diversity of the people that are part of the program or have finished the study program.
Daniel is originally from Colombia. At the Colombian National Centre of Historic Memory
(Centro Nacional de Memoria Histórica-CNMH), he worked as transcriber and researcher in the National Report on Sexual Violence within the Colombian Conflict (La Guerra Inscrita en el Cuerpo). His research is focused on the different "Masculinities" in Colombia and its
impact on the escalation of the conflict, studying the paramilitary violence against women and LGBTI persons. As a member of the Mennonite Church, he has been involved in activities like "Moment for Peace" organized by the Mennonite Church of Teusaquillo, Bogotá.
As a secretary Vera assists and supports the Mennonite Seminary and the Amsterdam Center for Religion and Peace & Justice Studies in the broadest sense: Vera gives secretarial support to the board, staff, students and the Commission for postgraduate education, beside that Vera assists in activities of the Seminary and the Center.
Daniel
Serrano-Bernal
Vera Kok
Maria is an associate of the ACRPJ. She is now the coordinator for the Community Peacemakers Team in the Netherlands, and a PhD candidate at VU Amsterdam. Her research project is called: ‘Women-of-Faith in Processes of Peacebuilding: An analysis of Women’s Spiritualities as a Resource for Healing, Empowerment and Participation in Peacebuilding in
Colombia’.
Maria is from Bogotá-Colombia, has a B.A. in Political Science, and a M.A. International Cooperation and Project Management for Development. Maria has worked for nearly ten years with various churches in Colombia for their political advocacy in peacebuilding issues. Some of the organizations where Maria has worked are: The Ecumenical Group of
Women Peacebuilders (GemPaz); Mennonite Association for the Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Action (Justapaz); and Association Social Pact Colombia.
Schuyler is the website administrator for the ACRPJ.
Schuyler is from the United States, has a B.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies, a M.A. in Theology and Religious Studies: Peace, Trauma, and Religion from Vrije Universiteit, and a Juris Doctorate from The University of Iowa College of Law.
Some of the organizations Schuyler has worked with are Musahala in Jerusalem, I-Dare for Sustainable Development in Amman, Jordan, and the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Zagreb, Croatia.
Currently, Schuyler is a first year associate at Heidman Law Firm PLLC in Sioux City, Iowa where he practices in Bankruptcy law and general litigation.
Eline
van der
Kaaden
Seth Adzokatse
Maria
Leon-Olarte
Schuyler Pals
Eline is the student assistant for the chair of peace theology at VU Amsterdam, and theACRPJ. After doing a BA in Anthropology and Comparative Philosophy, Eline is currently aResearch Master student of the master specialization ‘Peace, Trauma and Religion’. In herresearch, Eline wants to focus on ecofeminist and Just Peace theology from a postcoloniallense. Applying this to questions in the area of international/economic relations of theNetherlands, international trade relations such as the clothing/food industry, and human aidwork by Dutch Churches.
Seth Adzokatse is a student intern for the ACRPJS. Seth is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and holds a Bachelor of Theology from the Trinity Theological Seminary(TTS) in Ghana. Seth is working on his Thesis for a Master in Peace Security International Development and Conflict Transformation at the University of Innsbruck in Austria. He is currently a Research Master candidate in Religion and Theology student at VU FRT. Seth's experience includes Pastoral leadership, Ecumenical Partnerships, Prison Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care for African "Victims" of Human Trafficking.
Seth research and work focuses on:
Religion in Peace and Conflict studies, Religion in Slavery and Trafficking, Multi-track Peace Mediation Leadership, and Missions and Ecumenical Partnerships.
José
Antonio Parcha
Barruetabeña
José Antonio Parcha Barruetabeña is a student intern at the ACRPJ, originally from Spain. Passionate about theater, he believes in culture as a means to achieve peace and understanding between peoples. During his exchange at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, he studied the minor in Conflict and Peace Studies. While he finishes his studies of International Relations and Sociology in Madrid, he contributes to the organization by writing reports,
designing newsletters and posters for our conferences.