Peace and Justice Institute

Begin your day by centering your heart and mind in a short mindfulness practice to cultivate receptivity and openness. From this stance we can listen to ourselves and others to develop a language that centers on restoration and healing.

We have been caught and conditioned via cultural story of isolation, competition, fear, and control. There is a new cultural story trying to emerge; it teaches us that we are all connected and interdependent. A story of kindness, generosity, and unconditional love. We will discuss how to get there from here.

We often face confrontation and conflict in our work and lives. But did you know that conflict and confrontation, if framed and supported properly, can enhance our experiences and environments in the classroom, at home, at work and more? Learn how in this interactive and fun session.

Inspired by antiracist activist Asao Inoue’s reference of peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh’s concept that writing interconnects us all, this workshop explores the links between writing and identity and the concrete ways authentic code-meshing can peacefully confront and combat racist linguistic policy and practice in our interdependent work and lives.

Last November, Orange County became the most populous jurisdiction in the United States to recognize legal rights for the Econlockhatchee and Wekiva Rivers, by a vote of 89% of the voters. The U.S. and global movement for the rights of nature has now begun to change the nature of environmental law around the world. This workshop will cover the basics of the rights of nature, why they are needed, and how Florida communities and communities in other states can create and enforce them.

All are invited to learn the rich diversity of traditions of faith and worldview leaders here in Central Florida. A variety of community leaders will share their practices of peace from their faith traditions in a panel style presentation.

MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE tells the story of the student led struggle to win Puerto Rican Studies at Brooklyn College, CUNY, in the late 1960’s. The documentary is a mosaic of voices, film footage, photographs taken by student activists and music of Grammy award-winning musicians Arturo O’Farrill and Oscar Hernández. This important story highlights the powerful alliance Puerto Rican, African American and other progressive students and faculty forged that changed the face of higher education with the founding of one of the first Puerto Rican Studies departments in the nation.