Niagara University to Host Peace and Justice Studies Association Annual Conference

Niagara University is the host of the 2024 Peace and Justice Studies Association's annual conference, which will bring more than 300 scholars to Monteagle Ridge Oct. 24-27, 2024. This year's theme is "We Are All Connected: Fostering Intersectionality and Solidarity."

Among the featured events is a Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address and Buddhist Monk chant for peace, a plenary event illuminating the conference theme through the perspective of Indigenous scholars and activists, a tribute to trailblazer Betty Reardon that includes and discusses women involved in international peacebuilding, an Augusto Boal Theatre of the Oppressed interactive session, and a tour of Love Canal with environmental activist and Niagara University alumna Luella Kenny.

Members of the Western New York community will also receive awards from the PJSA at the conference for their commitment to justice: Stitch Buffalo will receive the Organizing for Peace and Justice Award, Geraldine Pointer will receive the Social Courage Award, and Jasiah Jackson-Hackett and Charlynn Rivera of the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Area will receive the Next Generation Award.

Co-sponsoring the conference with Niagara University and its Vincentian Center for Justice are the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area and the Mahatma Gandhi Center for Global Nonviolence at James Madison University. The Vincentian Center for Justice is founded on the mission of reimagining what is possible for college students in today's world. The premise is that college education should have value and meaning, and the VCJ seeks to empower students to achieve their dreams by creating a learning community centered on the pursuit of justice; critically examining the meaning of justice and its denial; imparting knowledge of struggles for justice, past and present; illuminating the intersection and interconnectedness of justice struggles across contexts and levels of human interaction; providing models and tools that will empower students; building a just community premised on equality, cooperation, and other shared values; and inspiring the members of our community to pursue their vocations as advocates for justice.

To learn more about the events and sponsoring organizations, please contact Dr. Dave Reilly, co-chair of the PJSA conference committee and co-director of the Vincentian Center for Justice, at [email protected] or 716.286.8108. A complete listing of panel participants, individual presentation topics, and additional details can be found at: www.peacejusticestudies.org/conference/2024-conference-schedule/.

The Peace and Justice Studies Association serves as a professional association for scholars in the field of peace and conflict studies. PJSA is dedicated to bringing together academics, educators, and activists to explore alternatives to violence and share visions and strategies for peacebuilding, social justice, and social change. The nonprofit organization formed in 2001 as a result of a merger of the Consortium on Peace Research, Education, and Development, established in 1970, and the Peace Studies Association, established in 1987.