MAYDAY! Peace Conference

Wednesday Feb 25, 2026

03:30 pm ~ 05:00 pm

Cec Eckhoff Alumni Hall

Audience

Alumni Donor Faculty Prospective Student Public Staff Student

Overview

The annual MAYDAY! Peace Conference was established in 1981 to inspire attendees to work for justice and peace throughout the world. Topics have ranged from arms control and landmines, to Tibet and capital punishment. The conference is free and open to the public.

250 Years of Democracy? Revisiting the Declaration of Independence, 1776–2026

The 2026 MAYDAY! Peace conference, “250 Years of Democracy? Revisiting the Declaration of Independence, 1776–2026,” invites the Gustavus community to critically examine how the founding ideals of liberty, equality, and self-governance have been interpreted, contested, and reimagined over the past two and a half centuries—and what they demand of us today.

There will be a faculty keynote followed by a panel discussion spotlighting the expertise of our own faculty and staff and modeling intellectual conversation across disciplines:

Keynote Speaker: Kate Aguilar (History, African/Africana Diaspora Studies)

Moderator: Jillian Downey (Math, Computer Science, & Statistics)

Panel: Dan Mollner (Library & Archives), Ernest Briggs (Theatre & Dance), Lori Carsen Kelly (Political Science)

Watch the Livestream