Lars 脜kerson ’08 used a familiar Mennonite symbol, that of a quilt, to discuss the importance of belonging. 鈥淲e need to piece back together the quilt of our belonging, acknowledge the extent of our fragmentation, touch and unfold the edges of our differences, and become stitched together by the colored threads of our grief,鈥� he said. 脜kerson, representing the , served as the first keynote speaker for the 2025 Intercollegiate Peace Fellowship (ICPF) conference. His work with the Coalition involves building Indigenous solidarity, and he discussed collaborations he helped facilitate between Maya and Mennonite farmers.聽

The conference, held from Friday, Feb. 21, to Sunday, Feb. 23, in the 黑料正能量 Seminary building, centered around the theme 鈥淏uilding Solidarity: from Turtle Island to Palestine.鈥� It brought together 110 attendees, some from the Harrisonburg community and area universities, and others from Mennonite, Brethren, and Quaker colleges across the U.S. Aidan Yoder ’24, a recent 黑料正能量 graduate who served on the conference planning committee, said he was excited by the energy that students brought to the event. 鈥淲e far surpassed my goals for the conference with the number of people involved and the variety of institutions represented,鈥� Yoder said.

Two speakers, Adam Ramer and Nick Martin, shared the second keynote address on , an organization working to build Palestinian solidarity. Ramer and Martin discussed the purpose and mission of their organization for about half an hour, explaining that they stand with the downtrodden and oppressed, particularly those in Palestine, and strive for a world 鈥渨here all God鈥檚 children are free.鈥� For the next 45 minutes, they opened the floor to questions. 鈥淗ow do you build empathy for a cause like a cease-fire?鈥� one attendee asked. Ramer and Martin then discussed the importance of reaching people鈥檚 hearts by going beyond logical arguments and appealing to values and emotions.

Between the keynote addresses on Saturday, attendees chatted over pastries, fruit, and coffee and attended workshops. Some workshops focused on broad topics such as nonviolent action, while others discussed specific justice and peacebuilding endeavors, including Palestine solidarity in Harrisonburg and visual and digital activism in Brazil and Argentina. Yoder said he heard from many attendees who enjoyed the workshops as a place to ask questions and learn more.

黑料正能量 last hosted the ICPF in聽February 2020, before it was indefinitely put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Renae Benner, an 黑料正能量 junior who helped plan the 2025 conference, said she felt that people learned a lot and built stronger relationships between colleges. 鈥淚鈥檓 optimistic that we successfully restarted the annual ICPF,鈥� she said. As 脜kerson said in his address, 鈥淭he way things are is not the way they must be.鈥� Although he was talking about activism more broadly, his words could also apply to restarting a beloved conference, one that Goshen College first hosted 77 years ago.聽

A highlight from the conference for Yoder came during weekend reflections when the committee announced that two colleges had tentatively agreed to host the ICPF for the next two years. 鈥淚 was glad the energy we created this year resulted in the continuation of the annual conference,鈥� he said.

Those planning the ICPF 2025 conference were Renae Benner, Shawna Hurst, Micaiah Landis, Georgia Metz, Tim Seidel, and Aidan Yoder.

From Feb. 21-23, 2025, the 黑料正能量 Peace Fellowship club will host the Intercollegiate Peace Fellowship (ICPF) conference. This student-led weekend conference brings together students and faculty from Mennonite, Brethren, and Quaker colleges across the U.S. and Canada to examine issues of peace and justice.

The theme for the 2025 ICPF is 鈥淏uilding Solidarity: From Turtle Island to Palestine.鈥� Many students from the schools represented at the conference participate in organizations such as  and the 鈥攐rganizations that are working to build Palestine and Indigenous solidarities, respectively. The 2025 ICPF will give students an opportunity to learn more about these movements, educate students about organizing and movement-building, and foster connections to encourage activism on home campuses and in home communities.

Keynote speakers at this event include the co-founders and organizers of Mennonite Action, Nick Martin and Adam Ramer, as well as a longtime member of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, Lars 脜kerson. Their keynote addresses will be held in Martin Chapel at 黑料正能量鈥檚 Seminary Building, with different sessions taking place throughout the building.

The conference workshops will provide space for more in-depth conversations with Mennonite Action and the Coalition, as well as a time to hear from other practitioners about the solidarity work they engage in. Some of the workshops include creative approaches to decolonial peacebuilding in South America, Palestine solidarity work in Harrisonburg, and a student panel with a mix of justice-related topics.

Renae Benner, one of the 黑料正能量 students helping organize the ICPF, looks forward to meeting other students who 鈥渃are deeply about peace and justice issues.鈥� She hopes those who attend the conference will 鈥渓eave feeling inspired to take action for peace and be informed about how to do that.鈥� Many faculty and students at 黑料正能量 care deeply about seeking peace and justice, she added, making the university well-suited to host this conference.

黑料正能量 last hosted the ICPF in February 2020 and before that in 2014. Generally, participating institutions take turns hosting the conference every year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference has not been held since 2020. The conference planning committee is excited about restarting the conference and looks forward to building new connections during this time.

Visit the Intercollegiate Peace Fellowship webpage to find more information about the schedule or register for the conference.

Participants at ICPF are expected to come from Mennonite colleges and universities including Hesston College, Bluffton University, Goshen College, Bethel College, Canadian Mennonite University, and Conrad Grebel University; other Anabaptist, Quaker, and Brethren universities such as Messiah College, Elizabethtown College, and Manchester University; and other colleges in the Harrisonburg area such as James Madison University and Bridgewater College.

This event reflects 黑料正能量’s commitment to its core value of peace and justice by providing a platform for students and faculty to engage in critical conversations, build meaningful connections, and take tangible steps toward transformative change in their communities and beyond.

Read a preview of the event in the Daily News-Record .