Student Organizers Convene at the 2026 Student Peace Conference
On February 20-21, student organizers from across the state traveled to Macaulay Honors College in New York City to attend our annual Student Peace Conference. Representatives from a number of local and international peace organizations came to give inspiring talks and workshops which the student attendees can use to inform them as they keep organizing on campus.
On Friday evening, students attended a panel discussion titled Resisting U.S. Imperialism and War at Home and Abroad, featuring speakers from the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), Anabayan Manhattan, New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP), and About Face! Veterans Against the War. Each speaker brought a unique perspective to how U.S. militarism has personally impacted them and the broader implications to the community they represent. Students were able to ask questions and reflect on the patterns of American imperialism seen across the globe, and how it relates directly back to their own campus and community.
Photo: Students hear from speakers during the “Resisting U.S. Imperialism and War at Home and Abroad” panel.
On Saturday morning, our very own Executive Director, Emily Rubino, facilitated a lobbying workshop for students, walking through the planning process and execution of a successful lobby meeting with a Congressional representative. Then, students were able to roleplay the meetings based on different NYS Reps and current issues.
Our keynote speaker this year was Rabbi Abby Stein, a Jewish educator, author, speaker, and activist. She was born and raised in a Hasidic family of rabbinic descent; in 2012, she left the Hasidic world to explore a self-determined life and in 2015 came out as a woman of trans experience. Since coming out, she has been working to raise support and awareness for trans rights and those leaving Ultra-Orthodoxy. Abby shared her experiences growing up in an isolated Brooklyn community and discussed with students how she navigates the challenges faced by anti-Zionist Jewish activists.
Photo: Student organizers pose with Rabbi Abby Stein.
The students of Niagara University Peace Action prepared and presented a Know Your Rights ICE pamphlet designed specifically for students in the Niagara area, but with information that can be reformatted to fit the needs and laws of communities across New York and the country. This volunteer presentation was inspiring and engaging for everyone in attendance.
In the afternoon, students participated in a feminist foreign policy workshop given by Kate Alexander, former PAFNYS Board Chair and current Policy & Campaigns Officer with MADRE. In this workshop, students were asked to envision a better future which prioritizes human rights, and discussed the many obstacles that come with advocating for that future.
The students then watched a shortened version of the documentary Bombshell, aired recently on PBS and features the untold stories of journalists covering the Trinity Test and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the screening, students were joined virtually by Ben Loeterman and Gaia De Simoni, the producers of the film, as well as Seth Shelden of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and Yasmeen Silva of Union of Concerned Scientists. The producers discussed the ways that the film ties into ongoing political issues and the state of contemporary media coverage of global conflicts, and Seth and Yasmeen shared perspectives of the film as experts in nuclear disarmament advocacy.
Photo: Students hear from the producers of “Bombshell” and speakers from ICAN and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The final event of the day was a nonviolent direct action (NVDA) training facilitated by members of Planet Over Profit. The Pop4Climate organizers taught students important strategies and terms for direct actions, how to communicate with law enforcement during crisis, and gave an informative presentation on how ICE impacts people and communities, and what students can do to help resist their violent tactics. It was helpful for the students to work with and learn from fellow young activists.
Due to the blizzard, events for Sunday were unfortunately cancelled to ensure the students’ safe return back to campus, but the conference as a whole was successful in gathering young organizers passionate about peace and justice to learn from experts and each other. We are looking forward to seeing how these student organizers utilize the new information and skills on their campus. Please consider donating to PAFNYS so that we can continue critical programming such as the conference and supporting their initiatives to bring peace to their campus, community, and the world.
Photo: Students participate in a nonviolent direct action training.
Peace Action Fund of New York State (PAFNYS) relies on the support of peace champions like you to fund the Campus Organizing Program and other educational initiatives. Please consider a donation today to support student organizing in New York State!
