Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking

The Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking is a three-day conference bringing together modern visionaries on nonviolence and social change with community leaders, activists, academics and organizers to train, learn, plan and organize to create a culture of liberation and justice for all.

Participants will engage in:
• training and education in nonviolent theory and practice through tools to engage in social change.
• opportunities for networking and peer-to-peer learning with movement builders from all over the country.
• an entry point for community members to become engaged in movement work.
• involvement in working groups that will continue the work throughout the year.
• a nexus of people who are new to the movement and movement leaders to share and inspire action in a cross-cultural and inter-generational environment.
• the opportunity to learn about best practices and develop new ones based upon our shared experience.

Conference participants will end this transformational weekend in a better position to decide, strategically, where to focus their energies for maximum effect and equip them with concrete tools to use in their personal and social movement work.

The Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking began its journey in 2004 as the Annual Gandhian Conference on Nonviolence, a collaboration of the M.K. Gandhi Institute, the National Civil Rights Museum, NCCJ- Memphis and a coalition of almost a dozen different grassroots organizations. In its five years, this annual conference on nonviolence, held in Memphis, TN, has educated and trained thousands of peacemakers from all over this country.

In 2007, the Conference underwent a transformation in name to the current Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking. This change meant to reflect the natural growth of the conference, also welcomed new principal presenters the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, HEAL Foundation, Indian Community Fund, and BRIDGES-PeaceJam, joining the National Civil Rights Museum. Over our first five years we have welcomed noted academics, activists and community leaders to provide insight into our work. Pastplenary and keynote speakers have included: Arun Gandhi, Kathy Kelly, Rev. Jim Lawson, Rev. Dr. Luther Ivory, Ken Butigan, Amy Goodman, Michael Nagler, Rosa Clements, Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Naomi Tutu, Fr. Simon Harak, Fr. Roy Bourgouise, and many many more.

In 2007, the conference also established a Youth Component, welcoming students from area high schools to experience a program of speakers and workshops specifically wuited to their needs. In our first two years, we have served over1,300 local youth through this initiative. We are also excited to anounce many new partnerships for the 2009 conference, starting with the Metta Center of Berkely, CA. The kind folks of the Metta Center have been working to ensure that this year's conference will work to meet the needs of all participants and push them towards year round commitments to action around the concepts and skills learned at the conference.