2020 YOUTH & PEACE CONFERENCE

We invited high schools in Tucson and Southern Arizona to register a select group of their students to participate in the 9th Annual Youth and Peace Conference! This year's conference was presented virtually on Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, using Zoom and You Tube platforms provided by Pima Community College.  

The conference focused this year on issues related to gender-based violence. Youth Team members expressed their interest in focusing on uplifting the voices of marginalized women, including Black/African American, Latina, Indigenous, and Trans women, emphasizing how, if these communities are safe, our community as a whole is safer for everyone. Workshops, dialogue circle conversations, a resource fair and opening and closing ceremonies provided multiple opportunities for students to gain important information and share their viewpoints and perspectives on these core aspects of social- emotional learning.  We invited schools to ensure their students’ future success by exposing their students to an environment that fosters positive relationships among peers, teachers and the community! 

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Both School Registration & Youth Registration are currently closed.

The Resource Fair at the Annual Youth & Peace Conference (YPC) is an important opportunity for youth to learn about community resources, especially organizations that address issues connected with the theme of the conference.  For the virtual 2020 YPC Resource Fair this year, we invited community organizations to provide a video or ad to explain their programs and services for youth and young adults. These videos and ads were posted on the YPC Facebook page (Facebook.com/youthandpeace) beginning on Monday, Sept. 21 (which is International Day of Peace) and continuing during the week leading up to the virtual conference on September 25, 2020.

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These videos and ads from community organizations and other information posted about the 2020 YPC remain active on the YPC Facebook page.

The 2020 YPC Call for Workshops is now closed. A total of 12 workshops were presented to address topics that relate to the general conference focus on gender-based violence and apply to one or more of these four categories of workshops at the 2020 Youth & Peace Conference: 

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1.  Identifying & Resisting Root Causes of Violence;

2.  Violence Impacting Marginalized Communities;

3.  The Role of Media in Community Conflicts and Violence;

4.  Healing from Violence and Building Healthy Social Environments.

Given that all workshops need to be presented virtually this year, the Workshop Committee offered a tutorial for any presenter wanting assistance regarding how to integrate participatory activities into their Zoom workshop. 

See the attached list of Workshops being presented at the 2020 YPC. 

This conference would not be possible without volunteers! Each year we rely on dedicated community members who truly support youth and peace in our community. This year was our first time hosting this conference virtually. Most volunteer “jobs” happened on the morning of the conference, although some were needed during the week leading up to the 2020 YPC and a few were needed after the conference.

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Volunteer Registration for the 2020 Youth & Peace Conference is now closed.

Meet the members of the 2020 YPC Youth Leadership Team who selected the title for the conference “Cultivating Safer Communities by Centering Women of Color” and planned and led the Opening & Closing Ceremonies at the 9th Annual Youth & Peace Conference to highlight this title.

The 2020 Youth Leadership Team filmed interviews with women they chose to exemplify their Mission Statement: "Our mission is to educate our peers in “Cultivating Safer Communities by Centering Women of Color”, as we recognize that when women of color are safe, specifically Black, Indigenous, and trans women, all women are safe. Our hope is to plant a seed for a healthier and safer community for all by offering workshops that unpack systemic and domestic violence, as well as violent ideologies like toxic masculinity, sexism, racism, colorism, and more, and promote healthy social environments and healing. Our growth as a community depends on our willingness to unlearn, learn, and allow ourselves to abolish roots of violence within ourselves and our communities. Ultimately, by centering the safety, health, and happiness of women of color, we begin cultivating peace for all."

Lucero Ramirez

Sadie Shaw