Park University Holds Joint Peacebuilding Meeting in Kansas City Area
The Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference is returning this year, but unlike previous years, it will be held virtually due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Co-hosted by Park University and Johnson County Community College, the conference aims to explore various aspects of social justice and peacebuilding.
The conference, titled "Building Peace Through Social Justice," will feature eight virtual presentations spread across three months, starting from September 9. The first presentation, scheduled for September 21 at 1 p.m., will be led by Lewis Diuguid, the president of the Kansas City Association of Black Journalists, who will lead a session titled "Disinformation, Civil Rights Protests and Social Justice."
Steve Youngblood, the director of the Center for Global Peace Journalism and an associate professor of communication arts at Park University, will kick off the conference with the first presentation on "Partisan Media Narratives: Impeding Social Justice." Youngblood will also discuss how media can unite, instead of divide, and will delve into how media present partisan narratives about social justice issues, such as recent protest movements.
On October 7, at 2 p.m., Tamanna Salikuddin, the director of South Asia programs at the United States Institute of Peace, will present "Social Justice in South Asia: A Tradition of Resistance and Current Challenges."
Rabbi Doug Alpert, from Congregation Kol Ami, Kansas City, Mo., will present "Comprehensive and Effective Approach to Black Lives Matter and Addressing the Needs of All Marginalized Communities" on November 4, 1 p.m. Rev. Eric Garbison, director of Cherith Brook Catholic Worker House, Kansas City, Mo., will discuss "Solidarity Not Charity: Building Peace Through Mutual Aid and Faith Activism" on the same day at noon.
Melissa Robinson, president of the Black Health Care Coalition and a member of the Kansas City, Mo., City Council, will discuss "Economic Mobility: A Framework to Achieve Health Parity" on November 5, 12:30 p.m. Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Mo., will present on "Gun Violence" on the same day at 6 p.m.
Rev. Vernon Howard Jr., D.Min., president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City, will speak on "The Pathology of American Racism: New Millennium Causes, Symptoms, Cures" on November 5, 11 a.m.
For more information and registration, visit the official conference website at jccc.edu/conferences/peacebuilding. If you need help locating detailed records or archives of the 2020 conference schedule and topics, we recommend consulting the official Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference website or local host organizations, archives from local peace or nonviolence institutes in Kansas City, or by contacting the conference organizers directly.
- The Greater Kansas City Peacebuilding Conference, co-hosted by Park University and Johnson County Community College, provides a platform for education-and-self-development through various presentations that delve into social justice and peacebuilding aspects.
- The diverse lineup of speakers at the conference offers attendees an opportunity for learning and personal growth, focusing on topics such as disinformation, social justice movements, and economic mobility.
