The Peace We Make: A Youth-Led Buffett Symposium

Young people are leading global efforts to end conflict, defend human rights, and advocate for sustainable peace. Hosted by the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs, this student-led symposium brings together activists, political councilmembers, NGO leaders, and negotiators from across the world to explore how youth are transforming the future of peace and justice.

Learn, Connect, and Take Action

The daylong program will feature panel discussions, community-building spaces, and a special conversation with Nobel Peace Laureate Nadia Murad. Join us to learn about the strategies and stories driving youth-led movements locally and globally.

Who Should Attend?

This event is open to the public. Those who may be especially interested in attending include students interested in international relations, human rights, or social justice, as well as faculty, educators, and community members committed to youth empowerment.

Agenda

Join us early for coffee and pastries, stay for lunch, and close out the day with light bites at our reception. The first 20 student attendees will receive a copy of Nadia Murad’s memoir, .

Confirmed Speakers

• Jacqueline Azpeitia, Peace Centers Program Manager for Rotary International
• Alana Gebremariam, Belarusian pro-democracy activist who is a former political prisoner and the Head of Social Commission of the Coordination Council facilitating a democratic transfer of power in Belarus

• Roberth Escobar Ríos, member of the Political Committee of Colombia’s first Peasant Reserve Zone, El Pato-Balsillas, which emerged from sustained peasant mobilization to counter land concentration and demand sustainable development

• Claire Hajaj, Executive Director of Inter Mediate, an independent peacemaking organization working discreetly at the highest political levels to support complex negotiations and conflict resolution

• Nadia Murad, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and founder of Nadia's Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women and children victimized by genocide

Please note that 720 University Place is not an ADA-accessible space. Increasing physical access to buildings and facilities is a goal of the University, but not all buildings and venues have been updated.

Info: Light breakfast as well as coffee and tea will be provided. The first 20 student attendees will receive a copy of Nadia Murad’s memoir, The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State.

Info: Welcome from Deborah Cohen, Director of the Roberta Buffett Institute and Richard W. Leopold Professor of History, and the Institute’s student organizing committee, the Youth & Peacebuilding Working Group

Info: Confirmed panelists: Alana Gebremariam, Belarusian pro-democracy activist who is a former political prisoner and the Head of Social Commission of the Coordination Council facilitating a democratic transfer of power in Belarus | Roberth Escobar Ríos, member of the Political Committee of Colombia’s first Peasant Reserve Zone, El Pato-Balsillas, which emerged from sustained peasant mobilization to counter land concentration and demand sustainable development.

Info: Boxed lunch will be provided.

Optional: Join one of our themed discussion tables to chat with other attendees about a topic of interest. (e.g., media & peace, refugee advocacy, etc.)

Info: Moderated by Wendy Pearlman, Jane Long Professor of Arts & Sciences and Professor of Political Science, Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences

Info: Members of the student organizing committee, the Youth & Peacebuilding Working Group, will convene to reflect on the day's discussions and share calls to action, including how to stay involved, future events, and student initiatives.

Moderated by Jacqueline Azpeitia, Peace Centers Program Manager for Rotary International

Info: Light bites and refreshments will be provided.

Nadia Murad will be available to sign copies of her book The Last Girl.

Host or Publisher Northwestern Buffett Institute for Global Affairs