2023 International Peace Conference
Schedule Of Events
Various sessions and keynote addresses that focus on the peace conference pillars: #1 Individual Peace, #2 Peace at Homes and in Families, #3 Peace Education in School, #4 Promoting Peaceful Communities and Reducing Violence, #5 Addressing and Preventing Human Trafficking, #6 The Quest for Racial Equity & Justice, #7 Empowerment of Women and Girls and #8 International Peace.
Conference Day 2
Saturday, May 6, 2023
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM General Session 4
North Exhibition Hall 2
Ambassador John Cotton Richmond, State Department TIP
Topic: And Justice For All featuring Rev. Becca Stevens, Founder & CEO, Thistle Farm
Topic: The Horseshoe Project featuring Dr. John Dorsey, Founder and CEO, Project Horeshoe Farm
Topic: Your Path, My Path, Our Shared Paths as seen through the Eyes of a Kenyan Military featuring Lucy Wairimu Mukuria, Psychologist & Radio Personality Founder, True North Society
10:00 AM - 10:15 AM Coffee Break
10:15 AM - 11:05 AM Breakout Session 5
Pillar #1 Topic: Peace Through Art featuring Fabian Debora, Executive Director, Homeboy Art Academy
Location: Forum Meeting Room A
Pillar #2 Topic: Support for At-Risk Families featuring Joan Witherspoon-Norris, Executive Director, Alabama Network of Family Resource Centers; Lori Foreman, Director of Programs, Embrace Alabama Kids; Danny Carr, District Attorney, Jefferson County, AL
Location: Forum Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Building a Culture of Peace in Schools featuring Dr. Patricia Simpson, Executive Director, The Hope Institute; and Andrea Miller, Executive Director of AlaQuest Collaborative for Education
Location: North Meeting Room B
Pillar #4 Topic: Training Tomorrow's Servant Leaders featuring Caroline Janeway, Alabama State Director, Impact America - Alabama; and Dr. John Dorsey, Founder and CEO, Project Horseshoe Farm
Location: North Meeting Room E
Pillar #4 Topic: Purpose Built Communities featuring Carol Naughton, CEO, Purpose Built Communities; and Mashonda Taylor, Executive Director, Woodlawn United
Location: North Meeting Room F
Pillar #5 Topic: Law Enforcement and Legislation Combatting Human Trafficking featuring Ambassador John Richmond, State Department TIP Office; Doug Gilmer, Department of Human Services of Alabama;
Chris Lim, Coordinator, Alabama Anti-Human Trafficking Alliance
Location: North Meeting Room G
Pillar #6 Topic: Relearning History featuring Carey Fountain, Black Cherry Tree Project; and Gina Mallisham, Executive Director, Jefferson County Memorial Project
Location: Forum Meeting Room C
Pillar #6 Topic: Freedom Riders Training Institute featuring Charles Person, Civil Rights Activist; and Pete Conroy, Director, Environmental Policy and Information Center (EPIC), Jacksonville State University
Location: North Meeting Room I
Pillar #7 Topic: Women Building Sustainable Partnerships for Peace in Kenya featuring Stephanie Sinclaire, Photojournalist and Founder, Too Young To Wed; Grace Ndanu, Graduate of Egerton University in Kenya in Gender, Women's' and Development Studies; and Lucy Wairimu Mukuria, Kenyan Psychologist and Radio Personality,
Founder of True North Society
Location: Forum Meeting Room G
Pillar #8 Topic: Learn Practical Peacebuilding Skills and Take Home an Evidence-based Framework That You Can Use to Develop Effective Positive Peace Projects in Your Community and Around the World featuring Steve Killelea, Founder and CEO
Location: Forum Meeting Room H
11:05 AM - 11:15 AM Coffee Break
11:15 AM - 12:05 PM Breakout Session 6
Pillar #1 Topic: Be Kind, Be Peaceful featuring Ashish Kulshrestha, Director, KPMG's Deal Advisory Strategy
Location: Forum Meeting Room A
Pillar #2 Topic: Caring for Our Elderly featuring Robyn James, Director, Elder Justice Center of Alabama; and Dr. John Dorsey, Founder and CEO, Project Horseshoe Farm
Location: Forum Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Peace on College Campuses - Combatting Addiction and Dating Violence featuring Kristina Canfield, Executive Director, Association of Recovery in Higher Education;
Susann-Montgomery Clark, Founder, Megan's Fund
Location: North Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Freedom Schools: Combatting Education Deficits featuring Bishop Van Moody,
Founding Pastor, Freedom Schools
Location: North Meeting Room DC
Pillar #4 Topic: Violence Intervention/Prevention featuring Rasheedat Fetuga, Founder & CEO, Gideon's Army; Deborah Daniels, Founder, Offender Alumni Association
Location: North Meeting Room E
Pillar #5 Topic: Trafficking of Children featuring Dave McCleary, RAGAS, Preston Findlay (NCMEC), Wendy Keelean (Survivor), Kelly Locher (Associate Jones Day)
Location: North Meeting Room F
Pillar #6 Topic: Educating for Black Financial Success featuring James Sutton, Executive Director, BuildUp Ensley; Dr. Tim Lampkin, Founder and CEO, Higher Purpose Co.;
Cleo Washington, Director, Legislative Affairs, AT&T
Location: North Meeting Room G
Pillar #7 Topic: Overcoming Challenges featuring Dr. LaRhonda Magras, CEO, YWCA of Central Alabama; and Melinda McGahee, Executive Director of Lovelady Center
Location: Forum Meeting Room C
Pillar #8 Topic: The Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights featuring Dr. Peter Verbeek, Ph.D., Associate Professor/Program Director, Department of Anthropology at UAB; Dana Dawson, Taylor Kiefer, and Chadra Pittman, Current Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights Graduate Students; and Dantranett (Dee Dee) Stewart and Kacey Keith, Anthropology of Peace and Human Rights Alumna;
Location: North Meeting Room H
Pillar #8 Topic: Peace Efforts of Rotary International featuring Rudy Westervelt, Past Governor,
Rotary District 5330
Location: North Meeting Room I
12:05 PM - 1:30 PM Lunch & General Session 5
Topic: Carrying The Work Forward featuring Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King
CEO, The King Center
North Exhibition Hall
1:30 PM - 1:45 PM Coffee Break
1:45 PM - 2:35 PM Breakout Session 7
Pillar #1 Topic: Transforming Ourself Through 12 Step Programs featuring Kristina Canfield, Executive Director, Association of Recovery in Higher Education
Location: Forum Meeting Room A
Pillar #2 Topic: Supporting Families of the Disabled featuring Alicia Roper, Deputy Director, Alabama Department of Child Abuse & Neglect, Children’s Trust Fund; John Roper, Executive Director, Disability Rights & Resources; and Joan Witherspoon-Norris, Executive Director, Alabama Network of Family Resource Centers
Location: Forum Meeting Room B
Pillar #3 Topic: Nature for Student Peace featuring La'Tanya Scott, Education Director, Cahaba River Society; and Verna Gates, Founder and Executive Director, Fresh Air Family
Location: North Meeting Room B
Pillar #4 Topic: Teaching and Training Men to Prevent Domestic Violence featuring Gail Fowler, Violence Intervention Program Manager, Safeplace; Shan Foster, CEO, Fostering Healthy Solutions and
Retired NBA Player
Location: North Meeting Room DC
Pillar #4 Topic: Enabling Successful Reentry featuring Kerri Pruitt, Founder, The Dannon Project; Moderated by Jeh Jeh Pruitt, Anchor, Good Day Alabama & Co-Founder, The Dannon Project
Location: North Meeting Room E
Pillar #5 Topic: Survivor Services featuring Jessica Munoz, Founder & CEO, Hoʻōla Nā Pua Pua (HNP); Carolyn Potter, CEO, WellHouse; Rachel Fischer, Survivor & Activist; and Tammy Bitanga, Advocate Community Outreach Coordinator and CSEC Specialist, Hoʻōla Nā Pua Pua (HNP
Location: North Meeting Room F
Pillar #6 Topic: Unconscious Bias featuring T. Marie King, Film Maker and Justice & Equity Facilitator; Joel Lesko, President, SunShower Learning; and Debra Nelson, President, Elevate Communications, Inc.
Location: North Meeting Room G
Pillar #6 Topic: Combatting Community Violence featuring Rasheedat Fetuga, Founder & CEO, Gideon's Army; and Onoyemi Williams, Deputy Director and Community Violence Interruption Organizer/Strategist; Moderated by Dr. Mark Wilson, Health Officer, Jefferson County Department of Health
Location: Forum Meeting Room C
Pillar #7 Topic: FGM Education and Prevention featuring Stephanie Sinclaire, Photojournalist and Founder, Too Young To Wed; Grace Ndanu, Graduate of Egerton University in Kenya in Gender, Women's' and Development Studies; and Lucy Wairimu Mukuria, Kenyan Psychologist and Radio Personality,
Founder of True North Society
Location: North Meeting Room I
Pillar #8 Topic: Mediators Beyond Borders featuring S. Martin, Global Partnership Manager for
Mediators Beyond Borders
Location: Forum Meeting Room G
Pillar #8 Topic: US Human Rights Cities Alliance featuring Dr. Jackie Smith, Founder of US Human Rights Cities Alliance; Molefi Askari, Co-Chair, The Ubuntu Institute for Community Development
Location: Forum Meeting Room H
2:35 PM - 2:45 PM Coffee Break
2:45 PM - 4:00 PM Closing General Session
Featuring Will Ratliff, Chairperson
2023 International Peace Conference
North Exhibition Hall
7:00 PM - Peace Concert Benefitting Ukrainian Refugees
Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center
University of Alabama at Birmingham
1200 10th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294
Click here to purchase tickets or call the Alys Stephens Center Box Office at 205-975-2787