MAYDAY! Peace Conference

Growing Peacebuilders, the 2022 MAYDAY! Peace Conference theme, seeks to empower us to promote justice and peace.

The 2022 conference, Growing Peacebuilders, featured Dr. Maya Soetoro and Dr. Kerrie Urosevich, peace educators and the founders of Ceeds of Peace, a nonprofit aimed at raising peacebuilding leaders and educating communities on how to work on and solve some of our most sustaining challenges like systemic injustices, violence, dehumanization, climate change and the like. By planting the “ceeds” of courage, commitment, connection and more, Ceeds of Peace hopes to provide individuals with the tools they need to work towards positive change and remain resilient while doing so. This year, Soetoro and Urosevich shared these tools with the Gustavus community through a presentation at 10 a.m. as well as a variety of interactive workshops in the afternoon.

2022 MAYDAY! Peace Conference Printed Program

Ceeds of Peace

Ceeds of Peace is a nonprofit based in Honolulu, Hawai`i that is dedicated to fostering both individual and community-wide peacebuilding through workshops, community events, and a variety of other activities. The organization models all of its outreach through the lens of seven different leadership skills that are referred to as the “7 Ceeds”. The “Ceeds” are as follows: critical thinking, courage, conflict resolution, compassion, commitment, collaboration, and connection. By building these skills within individuals in a community, a ripple effect will occur leaving the larger community empowered. 

Learn more about Ceeds of Peace through this 2021 Snapshot 

MAYDAY! Speakers

Dr. Maya Soetoro

Dr. Maya Soetoro is a co-founder of Ceeds of Peace, the organization at the center of this year’s MAYDAY! Peace Conference. Soetoro spent her early years in both Jakarta, Indonesia and Hawai`i. She received her BA in from Barnard College of Columbia University and her MA in Secondary Education from the University of Hawai`i. Soetoro taught Social Studies and History at the secondary level until receiving her Ph.D. in Multicultural Education from the University of Hawai`i in 2006. Since receiving her Ph.D., Soetoro has taught courses such as Leadership for Social Change, History of Peace Movements, Peace Education, and Conflict Management for Educators at the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa where she previously served as director. She founded the Institute for Climate and Peace as well as another nonprofit, Peace Studio. Both of these nonprofits focus on diverse ways of building peace with the goal of strengthening communities from climate change and other threats. Soetoro also has a passion for writing and has published a children's book called Ladder to the Moon. Her first Young Adult novel, Yellowwood, will be coming out in 2022. Currently, Soetoro continues to promote multiculturalism and peace education as an associate specialist for the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution. She also serves as a consultant for the Obama Foundation, an organization founded by her half-brother Barack Obama.

Dr. Kerrie Urosevich

Dr. Kerrie Urosevich is a co-founder of Ceeds of Peace, the nonprofit that will be featured at this year’s MAYDAY! Peace Conference. Dr. Urosevich graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1993 with degrees in both Psychology and Japanese Studies. During her time at Gustavus, Urosevich was an avid volleyball player. After graduating, Urosevich went on to receive her MA in International Policy and Nonprofit Management from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in 2000. She then received a Ph.D. from the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa, where she specialized in Political Science with a focus in Conflict Resolution and Systems Design. Over the last 25 years, Urosevich’s work has been rooted in conflict resolution, peace building, policy and violence prevention, including 10 years working with communities and organizations in transition, through her mediation and facilitation consultancy. Kerrie is a member of the competitive Omidyar Fellows Leadership Program, serves as Affiliate Faculty at the Matsunaga Institute for Peace at the University of Hawai`i-Mānoa, and is Co-founder of Ceeds of Peace. Kerrie also serves as a volunteer board member to Hawai`i Appleseed and EPIC `Ohana Inc. and is an appointed Board Member on Hawai`i’s Early Intervention Coordinating Council and the Hawai`i State Early Learning Board. In all her work, Urosevich keeps families and peacemaking at the center. In all her work, Urosevich keeps families and peacemaking at the center. She works towards conflict resolution, systemic change and peacebuilding in hopes of building stronger communities.

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 a.m. and 9 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.