Skip to main content

The Journal of Social Encounters (ISSN: 2995-2212) is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, peace and justice studies journal published online by the Center for Social Justice and Ethics at The Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, in collaboration with the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota. The JSE is published twice a year online, in March/April and August/September, on the CSB/SJU Digital Commons.

Current Issue: Volume 10, Issue 2 (2026) Regional and Global Governance: Past, Present and Future

Featured Essays

Introduction: Regional and Global Governance: Past, Present and Future
Ron Pagnucco

United Nations Reform: Opportunity for Small and Medium States
Joseph Preston Baratta

UN-African Union Cooperation in Darfur: Multilevel Governance in Action and the Future of International-Regional Peace Operations
Philip Mutio

Protection without Power? The Successes and Failures of UN Civilian Protection in South Sudan
Gatkuoth Lok Gatwich Diet

The erosion of international norms and the crisis of global leadership in the era of selective warfare
Farhia Abdi

Genocide by Algorithm in Gaza: Artificial Intelligence, Countervailing Responsibility, and the Corruption of Public Discourse
Branislav Radeljić

Pax Christi International’s representation within international governmental organisations
Fr. Paul Lansu and Giulia Bordin

Essays

Rethinking Women, Peace and Security in Southern Africa: Patriarchy, Policies, and Perspectives
Kgomotso Komane

The Vatican’s Moral Voice in the Critical Mineral Era: Does the Vatican Need a Policy Platform for its Meetings with Mining CEOs?
Raymond Offenheiser and Keith Slack

Patterns of Age at First Birth and Child Spacing Behaviour among Women in Ilorin Metropolis, Nigeria
Ismaila O. Orire

Debates over Nonviolence and Violence in History: An Interview with Doug McGetchin, Ph.D.

Operation Metro Surge in Central Minnesota: A Personal Perspective
Pedro A. G. dos Santos

A Catalyst for Change: The extraordinary Anaka Women’s Collective during the June 2026 Belfast Pogrom
Dianne Kirby

Encyclical Reflections

Introduction: Essays on Artificial Intelligence and Magnifica Humanitas
Ron Pagnucco

Encyclical Letter "Magnifica Humanitas"
- Pope Leo XIV

Preliminary Report - Evidence-based assessment of opportunities, risks and impacts of artificial intelligence
- United Nations Independent International Scientific Panel on AI

Riyadh Charter on Artificial Intelligence for the Islamic World
- Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and - Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA)

Artificial Intelligence and the Rediscovery of the Human: An Islamic Reflection on Magnifica Humanitas
Mazhar Ali Bari and Biliana Popova

The Fridge and the Drone: A Reflection from the Perspective of Palestinian Liberation Theology on Magnifica Humanitas
Omar Haramy

Magnifica Humanitas: Not Just About Artificial Intelligence
John Ashworth

Humanity’s Grandeur in the Balance: Theological Reflections on Magnifica Humanitas
William L. Portier

Magnifica Humanitas for the Marginalized
Nabila Feroz Bhatti

Magnifica Humanitas and the Obsolescence of Just War
Noreen Herzfeld

Leo’s Choices
Katherine G. Schmidt

Magnifica Humanitas, the ‘Universal Destination of Goods,’ and Social Movements
John Sniegocki

Partial Coalitions and Peacemaking as Metaphor
Julie Hawke

The Honored Children of Adam: A Muslim Reading of Magnifica Humanitas in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Iqbal Akhtar

Sudan Essays

Introduction: Sudan Essays
Ron Pagnucco

The Rights of Religious Minorities in Sudan: A Case Study of Armenians
Jon Armajani

Review Essay: African Americans, Sudan, and the Politics of Solidarity
Walter Hill

Unraveling the Roots of Violent Extremism in Sudan: Challenges and Pathways to Peace
Fawzi Ahmed Abdullah Slom

International Mediation in the Sudan Conflict: A Critical Appraisal and Alternative Tracks
The Initiative Research and Analysis Committee The Sudanese Initiative to Stop the War and Build Peace

Review Essays

Theology of the People as Modernity’s Alternative: A Review Essay
William J. Collinge

Review Essay: The Persistence of Community in Our Transactional Age
Bill Droel

Review Essay: The Original Sin of Humanity
John Sniegocki

Uganda’s Two Tyrants
Helen Epstein

Review Essay: Nonviolent Civilian Protection During Conflict
John Ashworth

Review Essay: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism
Shannon Smith

Senghor, Negritude and African Political Theology Senghor’s Eucharist: Negritude and African Political Theology
Rev. Fr. Basile Sede Noujio (Ph.D.)

Review Essay: Human Security and Civilian Protection During Violent Conflict
Lauren Spink

Book Review

Review of Francis of Assisi, Movement Maker: The Unconventional Leadership of a Simple Saint
Andrew Gertner Belfield