Nobel Peace Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Shirin Ebadi, and Jody Williams Among Peace Leaders Who Will Participate

“The Newark Peace Education Summit” to Examine How Nations, Communities, Families, and Individuals Can Build Foundations for Peace

February 2, 2010 (Newark, NJ) – The Newark Peace Education Summit, a major three-day summit on peacemaking practices that will take place in Newark , New Jersey, from May 13-15, 2011, was announced today at The Newark Museum by Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Robert Thurman of Tibet House US, and Drew Katz of The Drew A. Katz Foundation.  The summit will examine how individuals, communities, cities, and nations can build foundations for peaceful societies.

Nobel Peace Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian human rights advocate, and Jody Williams, the American anti-landmine activist, will be among the peace leaders speaking at the plenary sessions.

Mayor Cory Booker and the City of Newark will host the summit, which is being convened by Tibet House US and The Drew A. Katz Foundation.  Lead support for the summit has been provided by The Drew A. Katz Foundation, MCJ Amelior Foundation, and Lewis Katz.  The summit will take place at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) with ancillary events happening around the city.

“Newark is honored to host leaders who have dedicated themselves to the cause of peace, and have now offered to join with courageous leaders from our community in pursuing practical, lasting strategies to curb violence in Newark, and in communities around the world,” said Newark Mayor Cory Booker.  “True peace is the holy grail of urban governance, and I look forward to exploring solutions to complement the community engagement, economic development and other innovations that have brought Newark so far, but not far enough.”

“Peace is not some pie in the sky ideal of existence.  It’s not theoretical.  It is a very tangible, practical process,” said Robert Thurman, one of the leading American scholars on Buddhism and founder of Tibet House US.  “Our goal with this summit is to look at programs, policies, and methods that communities have used to establish peace, why and how they work, and how these practices can be replicated in other communities in America and throughout the world.”

Drew Katz, founder of The Drew A. Katz Foundation, said, “I believe that no matter where you live, people deserve to live in safe, peaceful environments, but unfortunately this hasn’t been the case in Newark for many decades.   The summit will be an extraordinary opportunity for community leaders in Newark to meet with peace leaders from around the world and explore how sustained peace can be established here so that future generations can live up to their full potential.”

Inspired by the teachings and practices of peace leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, The Newark Peace Education Summit will highlight peacemaking as a way for individuals, communities, and nations to resolve conflicts and problems. Through panels and workshops, the summit will present Nobel Laureates, civic leaders, organizations, and scholars and activists, from both Newark and around the country and world, who have used peace and nonviolence to educate youth, to create safer neighborhoods, and more satisfying and fulfilling lives for countless people.

Each day of the summit will consist of a plenary and workshops that will explore the main themes to examine working models for establishing peace in these areas that are successfully used by participating speakers, communities, and institutions.  The themes and schedule are:

May 13
Peace Within, which will focus on how individuals can better manage behavior and emotional responses that can lead to violence.

Peace at Home, which will focus on the issues surrounding the universal need of people and families to live in safe, stable, and loving environments.

May 14
Peace in Education, which will focus on improving school and community climate to build strong conditions for learning.

Peace in the Community, which will focus on how organizations within communities can foster a better understanding between different constituencies so that conflicts are resolved through non-violent means.

May 15
Peace in the World, which will focus on tension that escalates between nations and government bodies, and how these tensions can be mitigated without turning to military conflict.

Peace with the Planet, which will focus on how forming a better relationship with and respect for our natural environment is related to the establishment of interpersonal peace

Among the peace leaders scheduled to participate are Nobel Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Shirin Ebadi, and Jody Williams, spiritual leader Deepak Chopra, human rights activists Somaly Mam, Zainab Salbi, and Elizabeth Kucinich, author Ishmael Beah, U.S. congressman Donald M. Payne, author Marianne Williamson, Rutgers University professor Clement A. Price, anthropologist Wade Davis, environmental activist Majora Carter, former death row inmate Wilbert Rideau, former gang member James White, and many others.   A full list of participants can be found at www.newarkpeace.org.