John Marks ’61 is the founder of the Nobel Peace Prize-nominated organization Search for Common Ground, having also served in the United States of America Department of State and written multiple books on the Central Intelligence Agency. Marks returned to campus to share his story and emphasize to students the importance of productive dialogue on October 16. Interviewed by journalist Amy Kellogg ’83, Marks spoke about his peace-building career and the importance and power of the non sibi spirit.
Marks pointed out how the “Andover Bubble,” which is often referred to as a barrier to the outside world, also offers an opportunity for students to learn how to practice the non sibi motto in a smaller community before applying it to a greater scale. Marks shared how Andover’s motto inspired many of his projects.
“Non sibi prompted me to make a difference and do something that would help make the world a better place. I had that idea probably from the beginning, and the origins of it were here… [Andover] is a learning ground, a testing ground, a place to start [having peaceful values]. This isn’t the end, this is called preparatory school, and it’s preparing you for something else. I’m not particularly concerned about breaking out of the bubble while you’re still here, I think the breaking out can come later,” said Marks.
Amid a presidential election, finding common ground has been a common theme of many conversations within the Andover community. Timothy Liu, Assistant Director of Admissions, noted the importance of peaceful and productive conversations in a time when strong opinions could arise throughout campus. Liu encouraged students to hear from people they might not agree with and leave space for a change of ideas.
“[John Marks] was a great speaker to bring in during an election year when we have a lot of potential conflicting opinions on campus. You all had some events talking about how to have useful dialogue, rather than just shouting at each other. Trying to get away from the polarization, attacking each other, to instead have conversations where there’s room for people to move in one direction or another,” said Liu.
During the talk, Marks mentioned various anecdotes from his experiences as an international advocate for peace. He spoke about bringing the American flag to Iran in the 2013 Wrestling World Cup, peace-building in Africa, and working on gun control and abortion in the United States. Jim Ventre ’79, Assistant Head of School for Admissions and Financial Aid, shared how Marks’ achievements inspired him to remain positive, even in difficult times.
“One particularly memorable moment was when Mr. Marks shared the story about how his organization prevailed in achieving success during the Cold War to promote cooperation between the CIA and KGB. It was a powerful reminder of the potential for positive change in even the most difficult circumstances… I hope people take away from the talk a sense of empowerment and a belief in their ability to make a difference. I also hope they are inspired to think creatively about addressing social challenges,” wrote Ventre in an email to The Phillipian.
During Marks’s presentation, he emphasized how people’s stances could easily get in the way of negotiations, which is especially critical when working with people whose ideas and actions conflict. Although typical diplomacy allows parties to take a side, Marks talked about how peacekeepers could not bring any personal opinions to the table. Nisa Khairunnisa ’25 spoke on how Marks’ piece of advice applies especially to today’s political polarization.
“He said with the polarization today, the amount of people that want to find common ground is dwindling very fast from all sides. He really hopes that we as a future generation would consider being more open toward finding common ground, even if that means confronting or coming to terms with people who have completely different opinions or viewpoints from us…We can give ourselves education and research about things and issues in the world, but in the end, we don’t have enough experience to see the bigger picture,” said Khairunnisa.
Liu highlighted Marks’ work as an example of a career path outside of the typical fields Andover students are exposed to on campus. He encouraged students to be open about their prospects.
“These people that we’re bringing in, they have careers outside of what a lot of faculty members at PA have, and I think for students, it’s easy to think about careers in terms of doctor, lawyer, teacher, all these big, broad groups of things, but they do really specific things. There are paths forward for students to get to that point, and they can start thinking about ways to move in that direction from high school. I think it just helps students think more broadly about what is possible after high school and after college,” said Liu.
