A local nonprofit organization is putting on a peace conference for young people Saturday.
The fifth annual Youth and Peace Conference will take place at Sunnyside High School, 1725 E. Bilby Road. The event is led by the Culture of Peace Alliance and supported by grants and sponsorships.
One of the major goals of the conference is to “provide opportunities for youth to take leadership in the community around bringing about positive social change, and creating a more compassionate and non-violent, peaceful community,” said Ann Yellott, a co-founder of the conference.
This year’s theme is titled, “Expression and Communication: The Art of Preventing Chaos,” she said. Workshops, speakers, an art expo and activities will help youths explore emphatic expression and effective communication.
Workshops include building healthy relationships and how to use communication effectively to resolve conflict.
A group of about 10 youths have been vital in making this conference happen, Yellott said. The youths were the ones to come up with the idea of the conference and the themes.
“It’s their world that they are living in and they have a lot of ideas about what needs to change and how to go about creating change,” she said.
The conference, which runs most of the day Saturday, hopes to attract about 500 people. It is free and open to youths who are between 12 and 23 years old and adults who live or work with youth.
Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided. Child care is also available.
For more information about the event, visit www.cultureofpeacealliance.org.
