Event: “Solidarity and Sustainability Toward a Peaceful Future” – Student Peace Summit 2024
Date, Time: Saturday, April 6th, 2024, 10:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. CT
Location: Loyola University – Flanner Hall, 1068 W Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660
Contacts: Catherine Buntin, Chicago Area Peace Action: [email protected]; 224-935-6751
Charles Johnson, Chicago Area Peace Action: [email protected]; 312-859-7915
Four of Chicago’s best-known activist-artists will be featured Saturday, April 6, 2024 at a Peace Summit led by students from Loyola University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Northwestern University. Titled “Solidarity and Sustainability Toward a Peaceful Future,” the one-day summit will feature an energetic mix of panels, group discussions, and artists’ presentations, all focusing on what can be done locally to end wars and conflicts, and to reverse the ravages of climate change.
As Loyola student Heden Abdulahi says, “With the unfolding of the current genocide in Palestine and increased violence in Congo, it is clear now more than ever that we need to unite in solidarity to fight violence across the globe.” She adds that “during this climate crisis, we must protect and uplift refugees, who have been affected by both war and climate change.”
The panels will address the ongoing crisis in Palestine and the ways in which wars and climate crises affect each other, while the breakout sessions, hosted by groups including Students for a Democratic Society and Chicago Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, will focus on topics like climate crisis and colonialism, the roots of the immigrant crisis, and more.
A unique feature of the summit will be performances by four well-known Chicago area artists. Adam Gottlieb, a musician and poet, was a nominee last year for poet laureate of Chicago. Lati D, who grew up on Chicago’s west side, is an award winning poet with a national following. AfroDescent is the first Loyola dance team to employ the dance styles of the African diaspora. And Orion Meadows is slam/spoken word artist who works, among other things, to bring creative arts programs to Illinois jails and prisons.
The summit is sponsored by the Student Network of Chicago Area Peace Action, with support from more than ten other activist organizations. It is free of charge and open to all. More detail can be found at chipeaceaction.org/peace-summit-2024/.
