The 2016 Peace Conference is a shared inquiry into a way of life that embodies underlying human values of compassion, care, generosity, and trust. Amid global challenges of the 21st century, the conference advocates that everyday people can redefine the narrative and recognize their vital role in shaping our world– simply by “being the change they wish to see” to create communities that are just, compassionate, and sustainable.

Questions covered include:

• What does human progress look like in the 21st century?
• How will climate change affect our lives?
• Can there be a balance between the economy, the environment and human rights?
• Technology allows us to be closer than ever before, why do we have a chronic sense of disconnect?
• What does slavery in modern times look like?
  (e.g. trafficking, forced labor, sexual exploitation of humans and animals)
• What is the role of “Food Democracy” and food security in peacebuilding?
• How can we rebuild a culture of trust, empathy and compassion?

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Organized by a crew of volunteers who believe that being the change, changes the being, the conference holds space for researchers, educators, artists, advocates, students, and seekers to explore, redefine and lead with these deeper values in practical ways.

OUR VISION

Drawn together by a shared resonance at the intersection of impact, awareness, and transformation, this collective gathering may fuel, ignite, and inspire ways for participants to be deeper stewards of technology, economics, education, art, and social media in a way that can recreate communities to thrive on the power and shared values of knowledge and service.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: GENE BAUR

Gene Baur is the co-founder and president of the Farm Sanctuary-America’s leading farm animal protection organization. Mr. Baur has been hailed as “the conscience of the food movement” by TIME magazine. For 30 years he has traveled extensively, campaigning to raise awareness about the abuses of industrialized factory farming and our cheap food system. His latest book is, Living the Farm Sanctuary Life: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Mindfully, Living Longer, and Feeling Better Every Day (Rodale, 2015). For more about his work, please visit:www.farmsanctuary.org

In 2015, Gene was granted an Associate appointment in Health, Behavior, and Society at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In this prestigious position, Gene is focused on implementing courses related to evidence-based work on diet and farming as it aligns to Farm Sanctuary’s goals of shedding light on factory farming’s threat to public health, the environment, and animal welfare.

Register here.  Registration fee includes vegan breakfast, vegan lunch, plus conference materials and gifts, and free parking (Lot B & C).