Individual Peace

Meditation, religious practices and treatments for PTSD and other mental illnesses will be covered. The most current research on the neurophysiology of mindfulness practices will also be presented. Continuing education credits will be available for professional therapists.

Peace at Home
and in Families

Issues of domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, as well as efforts to strengthen families, improve parenting, and the importance of quality childcare will all be presented. The significance of “no fault” and non-adversarial divorces will be addressed. Continuing education credit for legal professionals will be available.

Peace Education in School

Successful models for reducing school violence, bullying, and factors leading to absenteeism and dropping out will all be addressed. District 6860’s experience with 3 years of NewGen Peacebuilders’ high school program and the peace projects developed by young peacebuilders will be presented both by the students themselves and by representatives of NewGen Peacebuilders and schools and organizations that have sponsored peacebuilder teams.

Promoting Peaceful Communities and Reducing Violence

Presenters will include community activists, former gang members, and members of law enforcement. The focus will be on successful programs for addressing and reducing violence and violent crime in communities as well as ways to improve communities to make them less prone to violence.

Addressing and Preventing Human Trafficking

We will hear presentations from both victims and experienced professionals from law enforcement, medicine, and the law on how to prevent human trafficking and rehabilitate survivors. Continuing education credits will be available for professionals involved in this specialized, stressful, worldwide work.

Continuing Quest for Racial Equity and Justice

Birmingham’s experience in race relations-past and present-will be highlighted to focus on both the progress and the challenges remaining in achieving equity and equal opportunity for America’s black citizens, and by extension for all marginalized groups. The roles of civic and cultural organizations, governments, and business communities will all be discussed and highlighted.

Empowerment of Women and Girls

We will hear about many different initiatives being undertaken to provide support and encouragement to girls and women as they strive for equity in all aspects of life, from sanitation projects in developing countries enabling girls to continue in school beyond the onset of their menstrual cycle to educational and employment practices that promote fairness for women and girls in developed countries. The role of sports in helping girls and young women learn to assert themselves will also be a focus.

International Peace

All other efforts promoting peace fail in environments where sustained violence between countries or between warring groups within countries are prevalent. We will hear from individuals and organizations actively engaged in reducing violence at the international level and from individuals who have played a role in reducing violence in their own countries. The Institute for Economics and Peace will be presenting its Peace Index and the concepts of Positive Peace vs. Negative Peace.