EVENTS | Global Peace Flag

UPCOMING EVENTS

Threads of Peace

Our Speakers and Performers

Words, Stories, and Actions that will help weave the Threads that connect our Collective Humanity.

Threads of Peace brings together powerful voices from around the world—changemakers who have dedicated their lives to peace, justice, and environmental stewardship. From internationally renowned activists and poets to thought leaders, each speaker brings a unique perspective to the ongoing dialogue of global unity.

Fashion Environmentalist Runa Ray

Runa Ray is a Fashion designer and Environmentalist.
Who uses Fashion as Activism to advocate for policy change. She has worked extensively with the sustainable development goals and Climate Action at the United Nations.She is also the founder of the Global Peace Flag an initiative endorsed by the United Nations. As a Fashion environmentalist, Ray writes regularly for Deccan herald newspaper in India, the (CFDA) Council of Fashion Designers of America, IOC- Unesco and the World Bank. She is an educational member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)and is the author of Fashioning for social environmental justice

Executive Director, World BEYOND War David Swanson

David Swanson is a Co-Founder and the Executive Director of World BEYOND War. David is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org. Swanson’s books include War Is A Lie. He blogs at DavidSwanson.org and WarIsACrime.org. He hosts Talk World Radio. He is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and was awarded the 2018 Peace Prize by the U.S. Peace Memorial Foundation and the 2024 Real Nobel Peace Prize by the Lay Down Your Arms Foundation.

Co-Founder, CODEPINK Medea Benjamin

Medea Benjamin is the co-founder of the women-led peace group CODEPINK. She is also co-founder of the human rights group Global Exchange, the Peace in Ukraine Coalition, Unfreeze Afghanistan (which advocates for returning the $7 billion of Afghan funds frozen in U.S. banks), ACERE: The Alliance for Cuba Engagement and Respect, and the Nobel Peace Prize for Cuban Doctors Campaign. Medea has been an advocate for social justice for 50 years. Described as "one of America's most committed -- and most effective -- fighters for human rights" by New York Newsday, and "one of the high profile leaders of the peace movement" by the Los Angeles Times, she was one of 1,000 exemplary women from 140 countries nominated to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the millions of women who do the essential work of peace worldwide. She is the author of 11 books, including Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control, Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection, Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran and War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict, coauthored with Nicolas J.S. Davies. Her most recent book, coauthored with David Swanson, is NATO: What You Need to Know. Her articles appear regularly in outlets such as The Hill, Salon, CommonDreams and The Progressive.

Executive Director, African Justice and Faith Network Steven Nabieu Rogers, PhD

Dr. Steven Nabieu Rogers joined AFJN in May 2022 as the Executive Director. He has a background in public policy and urban planning with a special interest in globalization and governance in Africa. Dr. Rogers has served in the public and private sectors as an academic, researcher, and thought leader. He also has several years of experience in higher education in Sierra Leone, the United States, and South Africa. Prior to joining AFJN, he was an Old Mutual Emerging Markets Fellow and Lecturer at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town, where he taught courses on Emerging Markets, International Trade, and Globalization. He was a Research Associate at the School of Urban Affairs at the University of Texas and a Corporate Compliance Officer at Children’s Aid and Family Services, Inc. in New Jersey.

Dr. Rogers has published articles on globalization, urbanization, and housing in Africa and is also a reviewer of various academic journals including the Review of Radical Political Economy and Review of African Political Economy. He is very optimistic about Africa’s future and believes that Africa’s needs are best served by an Africa-led intellectualism that should emanate from the lived experiences of Africans. He has a Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Public Policy from the University of Texas at Arlington, USA, and a Masters in Social and Public Policy from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA. As a youth, he served in various leadership positions in the Catholic Church in Sierra Leone.

Former D.C. Youth Poet Laureate (2020) Marjan Naderi

Marjan Naderi is an Afghan-American poet, performer, and educator based in Washington, D.C. As the former D.C. Youth Poet Laureate (2020), Naderi is a seven-time National Poetry Slam Master. Her work has been featured throughout American media including The Washington Post, NPR, NBC News, and more. In 2020, Marjan's writing was honored by The National YoungArts Foundation and was nominated for the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts Award. Her first chapbook, Bloodline, was released and sold out shortly after. Marjan's poetry is now featured in curricula including Fairfax County Public Schools, Bryant University, The University of Virginia, The University of Wisconsin Madison, and L.M.S. Voice. As an educator, Naderi has facilitated writing workshops and crafted curriculums across the nation. She is the founder of The Washington International Academy Library and now works to establish libraries across the U.S. as a student of The University of Virginia.

Notre Dame de Tous Les Peuples Our Lady of of all Nations

Notre Dame de Tous Les Peuples, is a choir based in St Martin Catholic Church in Gaithersburg Maryland. Whose voices carry the spirit of resilience, unity, and hope.
Rooted in a legacy of faith and activism, this powerful ensemble brings us songs of peace inspired by the African continent—songs that have long been used to heal, uplift, and mobilize communities in the face of injustice.
Today, they join us at Threads of Peace to remind us that music is more than art—it is a movement. A movement that transcends language, breaks barriers, and calls us all to stand for peace.

Let their harmonies guide us, their message inspire us, and their presence remind us that peace begins when we listen—with open hearts.