 During this time he was consulting in a number of conflicts, in the Basque region of Spain, Colombia, the Philippines, and Northern Ireland among others.After an exhausting trip Lederach began talking to Mennonite opinion-leaders and conflict workers including Hizkias Assefa, Kraybill, and others about systematically educating people to do the kind of work he was doing.A pair of retired educators, James and Marian Payne (both EMU alumni), stepped forward when they learned of the hope of a center devoted to peace education at EMU.