Katie Samek-
The 43rd annual MAYDAY! Peace Conference: “Navigating Conflict: How do we communicate across differences and work toward peace?” will be held on Wednesday, May 1st from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Alumni Hall. This event is free and open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend. This event will be recorded, and an archived video will be available to access afterward at the conference website at www.gustavus.edu/mayday.
The class schedule for May 1st will be altered to allow for both students and faculty to attend. Classes that start at 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. will be held at their usual times. Classes that start at 10:30 a.m. will start at 11:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. classes will begin at 12:10 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. classes will begin at 12:50 p.m. These class periods will also be shortened to thirty minutes each, with 10-minute blocks between classes. Normal class scheduling will resume at 1:30 p.m.
Immediately following this event, the Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies department will be hosting its 50th Anniversary luncheon from 11:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Jackson Campus Center Banquet Rooms. This event is open to all PJCS majors, minors, alumni, and faculty, and is free to attend; however, it is requested that attendees register ahead of time using the aforementioned link.
This year’s theme is “Navigating Conflict: How do we communicate across differences and work toward peace?” At a time in our history when there is so much conflict – in world events, national politics, and even in our personal lives – how do we engage with others and find common ground? This year’s event is a deep dive into peace-inspired strategies for navigating conflict and recognizing our shared humanity, even when we disagree.
“This is an important topic for everyone,” Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communication Barb Taylor said. “ In order to sustain a more peaceful society, we must be able to engage productively in conflict and resist the impulse toward contempt, which can lead to dehumanization, polarization, and violence.”
The featured keynote speaker for this year’s event is Dr. Carlos Meija Suarez, professor of Spanish, LALACS (Latin America, LatinX, and Caribbean Studies), and GWSS (Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies). The discussion panel will consist of Dr. Marie Walker, professor of Psychological Science; Dr. Joaquin Villanueva, professor of Geography; Dr, Martha Ndakalako, professor of English, African Studies, and Comparative Literature; and Rachel Flynn, academic librarian for the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library here on campus. The discussion panel will be moderated by Dr. Kate Knutson, professor of Political Science.
The annual MAYDAY! Peace Conference was established at Gustavus Adolphus College in 1981, with funding generously provided by the late Florence and Raymond Sponberg of North Mankato, MN. It was established to inspire attendees to work for justice and peace throughout the world. This year is the 43rd annual event, leading up to the 50th anniversary which will be celebrated in 2031. This event has always been free for the public to attend and requires no fees or reservations to attend. Starting in 2023, the event shifted to a “teach-in” model, designed to learn more about a complex and current topic from a variety of perspectives.
The Department of Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies has been affiliated with this event since its inception, and this year the department will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary. Gustavus is fortunate to have one of the oldest Peace Studies programs in the country, founded in 1974.
“The MAYDAY! Peace Conference exemplifies the core values of Gustavus by highlighting the excellence of its faculty and their ability to examine issues of peace and justice from multiple disciplinary vantage points,” MAYDAY! Director Yurie Hong said. “It seeks to create and sustain community around our shared commitment to peace both at home and abroad.”