After receiving a degree in journalism from Boston University, Jo Ann Deck worked in both the Massachusetts Legislature and the New York State Legislature, gaining insight into policy and power. The wars of the 20th century affected many of the men in her family, which inspired her mission to help end war.

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Her role as vice president of a publishing company capped a long career where she learned how ideas are the highest form of technology, and they can move through society affecting us all for better and for worse. She met Paul K. Chappell in 2006 after her assistant pulled out his book proposal and said, “We’ve never received a manuscript from someone in the army.” 

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When Chappell presented military evidence that humans are not naturally violent, her activism and desire for a more peaceful world prompted her to assist him in his work, serving as editor and mentor for his Road to Peace book series. She brings a lifetime of skills and experience to her work for the Peace Literacy Institute with the goal to make education in Peace Literacy a universal human right.