Sixth Peace Convention

On Sunday, December 8th, 2013, the American Muslim Voice Foundation is presenting its 6th Peace Convention at Chandni Restaurant in Newark, California. The AMV Foundation’s conventions have successfully united many multi-faith leaders, scholars, public officials, authors and ordinary citizens whose choices made them extraordinary heroes. For one day, these people from many walks of life share viewpoints and compelling personal stories that extol the strengthening power of peace.
This convention is titled, The Time is Now: Connecting for Peace, Justice and Change. As with past conventions, the event features several speakers to engage the audience and opportunities for attendees to share their own experiences in panels. The convention offers a Morning Session which runs from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The $25.00 admission fee includes a lunch and snack. For $35.00, admission to the Evening Session includes a delicious Pakistani style dinner. Attendees are invited to
spend the whole day at the Peace Convention for an Advance Purchase rate of $50 which includes access to the full day’s programs and lunch, snack and dinner.
The Time is Now: Connecting for Peace, Justice and Change features three keynote speakers, starting with Sadia Saifuddin in the morning session and Shane Claiborne and Terry Holdbrooks in the evening. Saifuddin is the first American Muslim elected to the University Of California Board Of Regents. Claiborne is the author of several books including The Irresistible Revolution. He is the founder of The Simple Way, a Philadelphia faith-based community that connects with other faith communities around the world. Holdbrooks was formerly deployed as a Guantanamo guard who ultimately converted to Islam after witnessing some of his charges finding peace among ultimate desolation. He shares his stories of the nightly conversations he had with Guantanamo detainees who inspired him to find his own way to peace.
The list of panels offers opportunities to convene in smaller groups for more specialized topics. There are four: What is post-racial about post-racial?; Who will be left out of Immigration Reform; Income inequality and its impact on our communities, especially youth; and Bring all your burning questions about Islam and Muslims. There is also a workshop titled, Made into America – Immigrant Stories in which attendees are invited and encouraged to share personal accounts of immigration.
There will be an opportunity to meet a select group of authors whose stories and experiences shaped their choices and their convictions that peace is always the answer.
The convention concludes with an awards ceremony in the evening. Among the honors that will be presented to our commendable leaders and peace builders are the MLK. Jr. Beloved Community Building Award to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and the Kamil family; the Fred Korematsu Civil Rights Award to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR); the Cesar Chavez Social Justice
Award to Fr. Jon Pedigo, S.T.L. of St. Julie Billiart Parish and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish; the Marla Ruzicka Humanitarian Award to the Bay Area Chapter of Muslim American Society, Kiet Do from CBS Evening News will receive Peter Jennings Unbiased Media Award and the Spirit of Islam Lifetime Achievement Award to Mertze Dahlin and Rev. Phil Lawson. Each of these awards celebrates the progression of peace and positive changes by our recipients, which build upon the actions of those for whom these awards were justly named.
The American Muslim Voice Foundation’s 6www.amuslimvoice.org. Please send any inquiries to [email protected] or call (650) 387-1994.