How can we create peace in a time of conflict? What perspectives do we need to foster understanding? Dr. Maya Soetoro, faculty specialist at the Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, discusses her work at the institute and shares practices for cultivating peace within ourselves and with others, followed by a conversation with Summerlee Staten. She’ll talk about art as an instrument for peacemaking, tools for nonviolent communication, and the importance of imagining the future we seek.
At the Matsunaga Institute, Dr. Soetoro has led outreach and development efforts and taught courses such as Leadership for Social Change and Conflict Management. She serves as an advisor to the Obama Foundation and works with the Foundation’s Leaders program and Global Girls Alliance on initiatives in Hawaiʻi and the Asia-Pacific region. She sits on several voluntary boards and is cofounder of the nonprofits Ceeds of Peace, The Peace Studio, and the Institute for Climate and Peace. A children’s book author, she is also the half-sister of former President Barack Obama and mother of two daughters, Suhaila and Savita, for whom she hopes the world will grow ever more peaceful and just.
Doors open at 12:30pm. The program begins at 1pm and lasts for an hour. At 2:10pm, in-person attendees will have the opportunity to participate in small-group discussions.
Registration for this free event is highly recommended as seating is limited.
We suggest arriving 30 minutes before start time. Admission is first-come, first-served, with ticket holders receiving priority (although not guaranteed entrance if the venue reaches capacity).
