Dear John,

We're 41 days away until #NoWar2022: Resistance & Regeneration, World BEYOND War's annual global conference on July 8-10! This year's virtual conference will be hosted online through the Zoom Events platform. Conference sessions will share inspiring stories of change-making—both big and small—around the world, that challenges the structural causes of militarism, corrupt capitalism, and climate catastrophe, while at the same time, concretely creating an alternative system based on a just and sustainable peace.

Here's a sneak peek of what we've got lined up for #NoWar2022, focused on the unique theme of "resistance & regeneration":

Experts Rickey Gard Diamond and Marybeth Riley Gardam of the Women's International League for Peace & Freedom and An Economy of Our Own will talk about how public banking can keep millions of public dollars local every year, invested in the world we want, instead of going out of state to Wall Street banks that invest in war, weapons, climate-damaging extractive industries, and lobbyists who support profiteering.

Preemptive Love Coalition’s mission is to end war and stop the spread of violence. But what does that actually look like on a granular level? What does it take for you, as a citizen of this world, to create a snowball effect of love and peacemaking in your local community? Join trainers Nick and Saadia for a 1.5 hour interactive workshop where we will share what it means to be a peacemaker, learn tips on how to communicate with others when you often don’t agree, and to love anyway in the context of your own world.

This youth-led divestment panel will both concretely explore how to divest public and private dollars from extractive industries like weapons and fossil fuels, and at the same time, how to rebuild the just world we want through doable reinvestment strategies that prioritize community needs. Featuring Shea Leibow of CODEPINK, Nadira Foster of Divest Ed, and Britt Runeckles of Towards a People’s Endowment, moderated by Greta Zarro of World BEYOND War.

Jeff Cohen of FAIR.org, Steven Youngblood of the Center for Global Peace Journalism, and Dru Oja Jay of The Breach will present a workshop on "How to Challenge Mainstream Media Bias & Promote Peace Journalism." Modeling the conference theme of “resistance and regeneration,” this workshop will begin with a media literacy primer, vis-à-vis FAIR.org’s techniques to expose and critique mainstream media bias. Then we will lay out a framework for the alternative — principles of counternarrative storytelling from a peace journalism perspective. We will conclude with a discussion of practical applications of these principles, such as through independent media outlets like The Breach, whose mission is focused on “journalism for transformation.”

This is just a small sampling of what's in store for the #NoWar2022 virtual conference on July 8-10. You can view the full line-up on the #NoWar2022 conference website here.

I am truly inspired by this year's event, which will feature speakers and attendees from all over the world. What makes #NoWar2022 unique is that we will hear real-world examples that model how to resist militarism and at the same time, rebuild the world we want. We'll hear from activists, students, journalists, farmers, educators, and more who have successfully implemented tangible practices, like nonviolent communication, unarmed civilian protection, public banking, peace journalism, solidarity cities, and peace education curricula that both advance demilitarization while modeling a culture of peace. Get your ticket to join us for this powerful event!