Immigrant-led Social Movements Confront Global Violence and Build Peace Dialogue as Action Research Method and Collaborative Praxis for Transformation

Abstract

Immigrant-led social movements in the United States contribute to peacebuilding, catalyzing new Christian approaches to contest global violence and increase relational justice. This article is a reflective exchange on dialogue as method and praxis between two research collaborators pursuing this argument: a leader of the Latin American immigrant-led movement Movimiento Cosecha and an engaged scholar of peace studies and Christian ethics. Their conversation highlights challenges and opportunities in centering immigrant-led social change efforts in church ministries, vulnerability and power in intercultural research partnership relationships, and reshaping accountability. Key themes include the significance of long-term relationship-building, Indigenous knowledge systems, and negotiating the complexity of representation in writing rooted in collaboration. By foregrounding lived experience, the dialogue emphasizes the need for sustained, reciprocal engagement, and the co-development of ethical practices. The format itself—dialogue—shares a Latin American and Latine-inspired model for such engaged peacebuilding research and praxis.