Pennswood Village Plans Peace Conference

Residents of Quaker-directed Pennswood Village are planning a Peace Conference on Sept. 19.

The conference will feature a keynote speech from Frances Fox Piven, noted author, peace activist, and professor, as well as a variety of workshops for attendees. Workshop topics range from creating peace in the home, compassionate listening, interfaith peace testimonies, a Pete Seeger sing-along, educating for peace, lobbying for peace and more.

Elizabeth Serkin, coordinator of the Peace Conference team, Pennswood Village residents, and others, have been planning the event for more than a year and a half.

“We started talking about war and violence, and it was almost paralyzing. It was depressing; people were saying there’s always been war, there will always be war, and in our conversation, we turned it around to building peace instead of fighting war. Instead of being anti-war, being for peace,” Serkin said.

“I would hope that [after the conference] people would stop thinking of war as inevitable and start thinking of peace as possible,” said Serkin. “Our hope is that the people who attend continue to find ways to build peace on all levels.”

The Peace Conference is sponsored by a diverse group of local businesses and organizations including: Pennswood Village; Pennswood Village Residents Association; Pennswood Village Quakerism Committee; The Peace Center, Bucks County; Coalition for Peace Action, Princeton; Abington Friends Meeting; Newtown Friends Meeting; Yardley Friends Meeting; Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; St. Mark A.M.E. Zion Church, Newtown, Standing Committee of Peace and Social Concerns, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends; Congregation Beth El, Yardley, PA; and United Nations Association, Bucks County Chapter.

Seating for the event is limited, and the event is almost fully subscribed. To register, email info@pennswood.org by Aug. 31.