A World of Perspectives Comes to Mt. SAC for Global Peace Summit

October 22, 2026 - 02:32 PM

Free registration is now open for international dialogue
and hands-on workshops, Jan. 28–29, 2027

How do communities rebuild trust after conflict? How can schools help young people resolve differences? And what can we learn from people working for peace around the world?

Students and community members will come together to explore those questions, share perspectives, and learn alongside international peacebuilders when Mt. San Antonio College hosts the II Global Peace Summit on January 28–29, 2027. The free, two-day gathering will bring voices and experiences from Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Japan and the United States to the college’s Walnut campus.

Registration is now open, and advance registration is required.

Through panel conversations and experiential workshops, participants will explore how peacebuilding connects to everyday life—from relationships we build in our classrooms and neighborhoods to broader conversations about human rights, social justice and reconciliation.  The summit invites participants to listen, learn from one another, and recognize the role each of us can play in creating stronger, more connected communities.

“Peace begins with how we treat one another, how we listen, and how we choose to receive perspectives different from our own,” said Mt. SAC President/CEO Dr. Martha Garcia. “ Our students have the ability to make a difference now.  Their voices matter today, and through experiences like this summit, we hope to inspire them to become leaders who bring people together and create positive change on this campus, in their communities and beyond.”

The summit is organized in partnership with COMNAPAZ México, a citizen-led organization with more than three decades of work advancing a culture of peace.

“Peace is not improvised,” said COMNAPAZ President and Founder Hiram Valdez Chávez. “It is built, researched, taught and, above all, turned into public policy.”

The collaboration brings COMNAPAZ’s international network of educators, researchers and community leaders together with the Mt. SAC community to exchange experiences, learn from different perspectives, and explore how shared understanding can lead to meaningful change.

Under the theme “One voice: the Americas of peace,” the summit will feature individuals whose work demonstrates how peacebuilding can make a difference in communities around the world. Announced speakers include Roshan Danesh, whose work focuses on Indigenous rights and reconciliation; Argentine mediator and peacebuilder Diana de la Rúa; and journalist and peace educator Margarita Solano Abadia.

Their expertise will offer participants valuable insights into how people in different countries approach shared challenges, while reflecting on how those lessons might strengthen relationships, encourage dialogue, and inspire positive change in their own schools and communities.

Thursday’s preliminary program includes keynote and panel discussions exploring peace, human security, social justice and reconciliation. Friday will feature educational and cultural peace, followed by seven concurrent experiential workshops.

Workshop topics include “Youth Leadership for Peace,” “Peace Education and School Mediation,” “Unity in Diversity” and “Artisans of Peace.” These interactive sessions will invite participants  to engage in meaningful dialogue, exchange ideas, and explore practical approaches to leadership, understanding and conflict resolution.

For Mt. SAC students, particularly those considering careers in education, public service, law or community advocacy, the summit offers an opportunity to connect what they are learning in the classroom with real-world efforts to make a difference.

Educators and community members will likewise be able to discover different perspectives, build connections, and share in a collective commitment to creating more inclusive, compassionate, and peaceful communities.

The summit will take place at the Mt. San Antonio College Summit Event Center,1100 N. Grand Ave., Walnut, Calif. Attendance is free, but registration is required. View the program and register at secondpeacesummit.org.