The two-day immersive experience will take place May 4-6, 2023, and will commemorate the anniversary of the 1963 Birmingham Children’s Crusade.
Birmingham, Ala. (6/1/2022) – Rotary International District 6860 (North and Central Alabama), in partnership with The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, and The Institute for Human Rights at the University of Alabama at Birmingham will host the 2023 International Peace Conference in Birmingham, Ala. Individuals from across the globe will gather in Birmingham to highlight the pursuit of peace at all levels of society. “Imagine Peace. Build Peace.” will serve as the theme for next year’s conference.
“Peace is not an abstract concept, it is an activity that can be practiced, cultivated and fostered in events like the International Peace Conference that will be hosted in Birmingham, AL”, says Rotary International President, Jennifer Jones. “It is a personal responsibility within each of us to choose peace each day – peace in our hearts, peace in our homes and peace in our communities.”
In 1963, the City of Birmingham served as a headquarters for the Civil Rights Movement as it was known to be one of the most segregated cities in America. Activists and leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Rev. Ralph Abernathy and leaders of other organizations worked together with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to develop a non-violent plan to desegregate Birmingham. On May 2, 1963, thousands of youth and children began a peaceful protest in Birmingham to help raise awareness about the lack of equality and the many injustices happening in the city. These young activists were met with violence from authorities and in many cases, they were injured and jailed. Images of police using high- pressure water hoses and snarling police dogs on the children were seen across the
globe. This event known as the Birmingham Children’s Crusade was the spark that ignited the Civil Rights Movement nationally and changed history.
“The City of Birmingham is honored to serve as the host of the 2023 International Peace Conference,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. “The Children’s March of 1963 played a critical role in the Civil Rights Movement by showing the world how young peacemakers were willing to raise their voices to help bring change to their communities. This conference will bring together individuals from across the globe who are committed to creating meaningful change and building peace.”
IPC 2023 will consist of two days where Rotarians, non-Rotarians, and distinguished leaders in academia, government, public safety, religion, business, and community service gather to share ideas and solutions to some of society’s most complex challenges. From addressing human trafficking, education, racial injustice, empowerment of women and girls, and violence reduction locally and internationally, the conference will be highlighting the pursuit of peace at all levels of society.
“I am so excited to be chairing this remarkable event,” says Will Ratliff, 2023 International Peace Conference Chairman. “Having attended similar conferences all over the world, we are incorporating the best elements of other conferences along with innovations which will ensure that this peace conference is exciting to attend, filled with take home value for attendees, and a showcase for the best work of peacebuilders in our great city.”
Early bird tickets for IPC 2023 are now available for purchase. To learn more about the 2023 International Peace Conference and to receive news and updates, please visit, www.peaceconference2023bham.com.
