Paul Bueno de Mesquita

  • Professor Emeritus
  • Department of Psychology; School Psychology
  • Email: paulbdem@uri.edu

Biography

For the past four decades Paul has worked as a scientist-practitioner psychologist and advocate for violence prevention and positive psychological development of children and youth in schools and direct service treatment settings, particularly in under-represented and underserved economically disadvantaged immigrant communities in the US. Earning graduate degrees at Indiana University and the University of Texas at Austin, he completed both his doctoral internship training and postdoctoral fellowship in child clinical psychology at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center Internship Consortium in Memphis TN. He served as an assistant and associate professor in school and educational psychology at the University of Kentucky, where he directed two large scale professional psychology personnel preparation grants with the Institute for Human Development and was a lead evaluator of the statewide preschool component of the Kentucky Education Reform Act. Joining the psychology department at the University of Rhode Island he served as training director for the masters and doctoral degree programs in school psychology for several years before becoming the director of the URI Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies in 2009. He was honored as the first recipient of the URI Silvia-Chandley Professorship in Peace Studies in 2010-2012.

Dr. Bueno de Mesquita’s career has been focused largely on addressing the public health threats of conflict, aggression, and violence through primary prevention and delivery of population-oriented school-based mental health services. He was introduced to nonviolence as an effective psychological method for personal and social transformation by Dr. Bernard LaFayette, who was a close associate of and staff member to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Under the mentorship and training guidance of Bernard LaFayette, Paul became a Level III advanced nonviolence trainer.

Since 2009, he has directed the annual URI International Nonviolence Summer Institute, and personally been responsible for the recruitment and training of a growing network of certified trainers in Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation methods, which includes nearly a thousand members from over 45 countries and 28 US states. In collaborative partnerships with peace activists, NGOs, and universities he has conducted international nonviolence trainings and helped to institutionalize nonviolence and peace education programs in Nepal, the states of Jammu-Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, and Nagaland, India, and several West African countries. The Center’s advanced leadership and development training has recently led to the establishment of a number of partner nonviolence and peace centers in India, Nepal, Haiti, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and DR Congo. Under his leadership the URI Center continues to fulfill its mission to realize Dr. King’s final vision of a global beloved community by providing transformative nonviolence and inner peace training and education programs at international and institutional levels.

In addition to his duties in psychology, Dr. Bueno de Mesquita heads the global peace specialization area in the URI International Relations graduate program, teaching PSY500/NVP500 Seminar: Introduction to the Theory, Research, and Practice of Nonviolence & Peace. His recent edited book, Kingian Nonviolence: Applications for International & Institutional Change, is a collection of chapters contributed by individuals who have earned certification in Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation at the Center’s annual International Nonviolence Summer Institute. Inspirational chapters describe international and institutional applications of Kingian nonviolence and are organized into geographic sections spanning four continents: South America, Africa, South Asia, and the Balkans of Southeast Europe. Their stories in this volume offer evidence of the various ways in which training and education in the philosophy and methodology of nonviolence can initiate and guide social change at both the international and institutional levels.

Research

His teaching and research interests are in the areas of nonviolence, peace psychology, inner peace healthy minds, compassion, violence prevention, mental health consultation, international relations and cultural diversity.

Education

  • Ph.D. 1987, University of Texas at Austin
  • M.S. 1973, Indiana University
  • B.A. 1970, University of South Florida
  • A.A. 1968, Odessa College

Selected Publications

Bueno de Mesquita, P. (Ed.) (2015). Kingian nonviolence: Applications for international and institutional change. Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies: Kingston, RI.

Bueno de Mesquita, P. (2015). Introduction to Kingian nonviolence: Applications of international and institutional change (pp. i-vi). In P. Bueno de Mesquita (Ed.), Kingian nonviolence: Applications for international and institutional change. Kingston, RI: Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies.

Bueno de Mesquita, P. (2015). Nonviolence training and education: Realizing King’s vision for a global beloved community. In P. Bueno de Mesquita (Ed.), Kingian nonviolence: Applications for international and institutional change (pp. 1-12). Kingston, RI: Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies.

Garcia, G. & Bueno de Mesquita, P. (2015). Evaluation of nonviolence training: Basic considerations and a case example (pp. 219-229). In P. Bueno de Mesquita (Ed.), Kingian nonviolence: Applications for international and institutional change. Kingston, RI: Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies.

Wood, S., Bueno de Mesquita, P., & Champlain, K. (2009). Songs of social justice: Changing the world one song at a time. Kingston, RI: Blurb.

Collyer, C. E., Johnson, K. L., Bueno de Mesquita, P., Palazzo, L., & Jordan, D. (2009). Nonviolence Training Affects Ratings of Violence Severity. Perceptual and Motor Skills.

Bueno de Mesquita, P., Dean, Ross, & Young, B. (2010). Making Sure What You See is What You Get: Digital Video Technology and the Pre-Service Preparation of Teachers of Elementary Science. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education – Science, 10:3.

Bueno de Mesquita, P. (2004). Teaching children to write: A conceptual framework for instructional decision making. In K. L. Johnson & P. V. Weskott. Writing like writers: Guiding elementary children through a writer’s workshop. (pp. 261-272). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

Bueno de Mesquita, P. (Ed.) (2004). Higher Education Faculty Resource Guide for the Preservice Training of School Mental Health Professionals in Character Education and Social Emotional Learning. Healthy Schools, Healthy Kids Initiative, Rhode Island Department of Elementary & Secondary Education.

Young, B., Guglielmi, K., Bueno de Mesquita, P., Sullivan-Watts, B., & Webster, K. (September, 2004). Change Associated with Readiness, Education, and Efficacy in Reform Science — C.A.R.E.E.R.S. National Science Foundation Grant.

Gilliam, W. S., & de Mesquita, P. B. (2000). The relationship between language and cognitive development and emotional-behavioral problems in financially-disadvantaged preschoolers: A longitudinal investigation. Early Child Development and Care, 162, 9-24.

Selected Professional Activities

Bueno de Mesquita, P. (2010 – 2017). Violence Prevention Outreach Program - Second Step. Robertson School, Capt. Hunt Preschool, Veteran’s Elementary School, Ella Risk Elementary School, Central Falls, RI.

Bueno de Mesquita, P. (2010 – 2017). International Nonviolence Summer Institute on Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation. The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI. Certification Course for 50-75 international and US participants annually.

Bueno de Mesquita, P. (2011 – 2017). Nonviolence Nepal Conflict Reconciliation Training. International partnership project with Collective Campaign for Peace, Nagarik Aawaz, Conflict & Peace Development Studies, Tribhuvan University. Kathmandu, Nepal.

Bueno de Mesquita, P. & Albluwi, Q. (September, 2015). Nonviolence, Islam, and the Road to Peace: Would Muslims March with Dr. King in Selma? Presentation at the University of Rhode Island Annual Diversity Week. Kingston, RI.

LaFayette, B., Bueno de Mesquita, P. & Alphin, C. (October, 2013). Kingian Nonviolence and Conflict Reconciliation in Higher Education. One-day training with Emory University President’s Administrative Staff. Emory University, Atlanta, GA.

Bueno de Mesquita, P. (2011). Kingian nonviolence conflict reconciliation on the line of control. Invited lecture Gandhian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, Jammu University, Jammu-Kashmir State, India.

Bueno de Mesquita, P. (March, 2011 & August, 2012). Nonviolence Community Leadership Training. In partnership with Youth Icons Ghana, Millennium Development Corporation, and One Ghana Peace Campaign. Accra, Ghana.

Professional Awards

  • The Avi Schaefer – Seek Peace and Pursue It – Award (April 2019). In recognition of those who exemplify the values and qualities that Avi lived. To honor the deeds of those who step up publicly for Justice, Peace, and Compassion.
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Peacemaker Award (2015). Presented by The University of Rhode Island Chaplains Association.

More Information

A native of Galveston Island, Texas, Paul enjoys travel, mountains, beaches, playing guitar and singing out for peace, justice and nonviolent social change.

Learn more about Dr. Bueno de Mesquita's on-going work at The URI Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies.