MAYDAY! Conference

Divestment & Reinvestment: Making Money Count on Wednesday, April 27, 2016

The 2016 MAYDAY! Peace Conference will consider whether or not divestment is an effective tool for building peace. A diversity of speakers with a wide range of perspectives will examine past divestment initiatives and current strategies, investigate the impact of power structures, and explore the morality and mechanics in the ongoing debate on divestment. 

The event were livestreamed and archived online.

Schedule of Events

Time	Event
10 a.m.	Welcoming Ceremony & Keynote Addresses Ecological Economics: Ideology or Utopia? Dr. Ove Jakobsen, is professor in ecological economics at Nord University in Bodø, Norway and holds his doctorate in economics from the Norwegian School of Economics. His research focuses on organic worldviews in economics and circulation economic theory. He is one of Norway’s most prominent economists and publishes and presents internationally on a regular basis. He is the author of nine books including Responsibility, Deep Ecology and the Self, and Circulation Economics: Theory and Practice.       Moral Courage: The Ethical Foundations of Divestment. Dr. Kathleen Dean Moore, is a philosopher, environmental advocate, and award-winning writer. As a distinguished professor at Oregon State University, she lectured in philosophy of law and environmental ethics. Her growing alarm at the devastation of the planet led her to leave the university to speak out in defense of the lovely, reeling world. Her most recent book, Great Tide Rising: Toward Clarity and Moral Courage in a Time of Planetary Change, follows Moral Ground , a testimony from the world’s moral leaders about our obligation to the future.
11:30 a.m.	Lunch Break
1:30 to 3:30p.m.	Afternoon Panel Discussion and Q&A Alumni Hall, Johnson Student Union  A series of 10-minute presentations followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A with all presenters from the day. Afternoon topics and speakers include: The future of U.S. energy policy John Muehlhausen, is a founding partner of Merjent and has 25 years of consulting experience in the energy industry. His experience ranges from controversial large expansion projects to uncontentious small-scale development activities. He works with both industry representatives and government regulators.   Divestment from Israel Sa’ed Atshan, is visiting assistant professor of peace and conflict studies at Swarthmore College and previously a post-doctoral fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University. He earned his PhD, MA, and MPP from Harvard University. Atshan has worked with a range of organizations including Human Rights Watch, the American Civil Liberties Union, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Seeds of Peace International Camp, the Palestinian Negotiations Affairs Department, and the government of Dubai.   Student divestment initiative Katie Oran, is a sophomore at the State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry. She is an environmental studies: environmental communication & society major, the ESF/ Syracuse University liaison with the Undergraduate Student Association, the ESF Representative to the Syracuse University Student Association, and president of DivestESF.       Mechanics of divestment Neil Stallings, is vice president of advisor relations at Green Century Capital Management and has more than twenty years of experience in investment sales and marketing including working at Salient Financial Services and Oracle. His expertise is in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) asset management strategies.

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.