MAYDAY! Conference

The 2016 MAYDAY! Peace Conference will consider whether or not divestment is an effective tool for building peace. Through a diversity of speakers with a wide range of perspectives, we will examine past divestment initiatives and current strategies, investigate the impact of power structures, and explore the complexity and commitments surrounding the ongoing debates. This conference will probe the morality and mechanics of divestment in order to inspire effective action for building peace.

This year’s Conference titled “Divestment & Reinvestment: Making Money Count,” will have a morning session from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. featuring Dr. Kathleen Dean Moore and Dr. Ove Jakobsen.  The afternoon will be a panel discussion with Q&A from 1- 3 p.m. in Alumni Hall. 

The event will be livestreamed and archived online.

All events are open to the public without charge.

For more information, contact the Office of Marketing and Communication at Gustavus (call 507-933-7520 or e-mail marketing@gustavus.edu).

Schedule of Events

Time	Event
10 a.m.	Welcoming Ceremony & Keynote Addresses Christ Chapel  "Moral Courage: The Ethical Foundations of Divestment" Presented by Dr. Kathleen Dean Moore  Dr. Kathleen Dean Moore is a philosopher, environmental advocate, and award-winning writer. As Distinguished Professor at Oregon State University, she lectured in philosophy of law and environmental ethics.   "Ecological Economics: Ideology or Utopia?" Presented by Dr. Ove Jakobsen Dr. Ove Jakobsen is a professor at the Centre for Ecological Economics and Ethics, Bodø Graduate School of Business at Nord University in Norway. His research studies the mechanics and history of divestment and the effectiveness of divestment as a tool for change.
11:30 a.m.	Lunch Break
1:30 p.m.	Afternoon Panel Discussion and Q&A Alumni Hall, Johnson Student Union Please join us for a series of 10-minute presentations on topics related to divestment. Speakers will address the divestment movements of fossil fuels and Israel, as well as strategies underlying divestments and reinvestments, and financial and political perspectives. The speakers and Drs. Dean Moore and Jakobsen will then engage in a panel discussion and answer questions from the audience.  The future of U.S. energy policy - John Muehlhausen, vice president at Merjent Divestment from Israel – Sa’ed Atshan, Peace and Conflict Studies Department at Swarthmore College A student-led divestment initiative - Katie Oran, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
3:00 p.m.	Closing - Alumni Hall

Resource Fair — featuring books, displays, and organizations related to divestment, O.J. Johnson Student Union

All events are open to the public without charge.

Class Schedule Modification

The class schedule will be modified to allow for all students and faculty to attend the morning session. Classes that start at 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. will meet at the regularly scheduled times.  Classes that start at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on that day will be shortened to thirty minutes each with ten minutes between classes.  Normal scheduling will resume at 1:30 p.m.  

The annual MAYDAY! Peace Conference was established at Gustavus Adolphus College in 1981 with funding by the late Florence and Raymond Sponberg. It was established to inspire attendees to work for justice and peace throughout the world.