Making peace: A narrative study of a bilingual liaison, a school and a community

Schools today must address multiple levels of conflict in the lives of chil dren and communities. This study explores the role of a bilingual liaison i n helping to resolve conflicts and build bridges of understanding between s chools and diverse communities. Using narrative inquiry to represent and in terpret the narratives of Shou Cha, a Hmong community liaison, and his coll eagues at the Center for Language, Culture and Communication Arts (CLCCA), special attention is given to the representation of subjects' voices and na rrative forms that engage readers aesthetically as well as critically. This study addresses the multiple conflicts affecting the lives of minority lan guage students, their families, and schools, as well as the need to move fr om a schooling paradigm of discipline and punish (Foucault, 1979) to one of making peace. He examines the cultural roles played by Shou Cha as cultura l healer (from Spindler & Spindler, 1990) and border crosser (Giroux, 1997) , and suggests implications for researchers and educators.