Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace began planning a conference, One World: Ending Endless War and Creating a Just, Peaceful, Healthy Planet, several months ago. Little did we know how prophetic that title would become.

With the entire world now engulfed in a pandemic, we’re seeing as never before how interdependent we all are – and how much we need to stand together to fight militarism, racism, poverty, and injustice. If you're as alarmed as ICUJP about our country’s march toward increased militarism and endless war, we invite you to stand with us in helping to stop this insane cycle and the horrific toll it exacts on people, societies, and our planet.

Please join us online for One World on Sunday, June 7! This virtual conference is a time for organizations and communities to join forces, confront the serious challenges facing us, and – most importantly - initiate solutions and actions to create a peaceful and prosperous world for all.

Keynote Speaker

• Rev. James Lawson, Pastor Emeritus, Holman United Methodist Church

Breakout Sessions

Peace with Justice

Amid the COVID 19 pandemic, the United States continues to suffer from another deadly and chronic disease: addiction to war. For generations, leaders of both political parties have pathologically pursued a failed foreign policy of warmaking and intervention. With 800 military bases around the world, since 9/11 the US has squandered over $6 TRILLION on wars, causing a catastrophic loss of life and destruction of societies. The Pentagon outspends the world’s seven next largest militaries combined. And the US sells more weapons - to 98 countries in the last five years - than any other nation. This session will examine America’s blind commitment to armed supremacy and military dominance. And it will explore how we can strengthen diplomatic and humanitarian alternatives to war and build a world of pluralism and peace.

Session 1, 1:45 pm:

• Jodie Evans, Cofounder and Director, CODEPINK
• Shakeel Syed, Regional Director, American Muslims for Palestine

Session 2, 2:45 pm:

• Salam Al-Marayati, President, Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
• Dr. Douglas Becker, Assistant Professor of International Relations, University of Southern California

Environmental Justice

Environmentalists have been warning that with a rise in the earth’s temperature, we will see increased climate disasters, devastation, rising seas, higher temperatures that result in more virulent strains of viruses and bacteria, destruction of crops, and resulting hunger, among other things. COVID-19 could well be a result of this climatic change.* ICUJP has long held that in addition to the above, wars continue to play a big role in the destruction of the earth. Yet many are working for change in policy and in personal actions. This session will highlight some of the ways that environmentalists are providing a way forward to restore us to a healthy planet. (*James Kingsland, Medical News Today, 4/3/20)

Session 1, 1:45 pm:

• Hop Hopkins, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Sierra Club
• Dr. John Cobb, Founder, Center for Process Studies; Process and Faith

Session 2, 2:45 pm:

• Lisa Smithline, Old Dog Documentaries, discussing the film ROLLBACKS: An Assault Against Life on Earth

Racial and Religious Justice

The COVID 19 pandemic has exposed a serious “pre-existing condition” in American society: racism and bigotry. Deep-seated racism - the legacy of slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation - has contributed to severe disparities in health care, housing, food, jobs, incarceration, and other features of American life. Today, black, brown and native Americans are suffering twice the death rate from COVID 19 compared to the white population. Meanwhile, long simmering anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and prejudice toward immigrants and refugees (fostered and condoned at the highest levels of government) are breeding White Nationalism. And, inflamed by President Trump, ugly anti-Asian prejudice has flared. This session will examine racism and religious bigotry in America and will offer an opportunity to discuss how progressives and people of faith can embrace movements of liberation to create a multiracial, diverse democracy.

Session 1, 1:45 pm:

• Hyepin Im, Founder and CEO, Faith and Community Empowerment
• Dr. Zaman Stanizai, Professor of Political Science, Cal State Dominguez Hills

Session 2, 2:45 pm:

• Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, PhD, President, Academy for Jewish Religion | CA
• Tahil Sharma, North American Coordinator, United Religions Initiative

Economic Justice

The COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered how the current economic system is not working. Based on a form of capitalism that has become exploitative and oppressive, it has slowly increased inequality and eroded the middle class, where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Some people are calling out for a jubilee of economics, based on a system of debt forgiveness across the board.** ICUJP has long held that U.S. prioritization of the military industrial complex has created a budget that is heavily invested in this sector with a disproportionately minuscule amount allotted to our social welfare and thus has produced the stark poverty we have today. This breakout session will look at how this has impacted the lower-income and working class and will offer solutions for a new way forward. (**Washington Post 3/21/20; Marketplace Morning Report 4/2/20)

Session 1, 1:45 pm:

• Ashley Gonzales, Faith Rooted Organizer, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE)
• Ben Poor, Community Organizer, UniteHere! Local 11

Session 2, 2:45 pm:

• Ashley Gonzales, Faith Rooted Organizer, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE)
• Ben Poor, Community Organizer, UniteHere! Local 11

Please register at https://oneworldonline.eventbrite.com. You must register in order to receive access to the online conference. You'll have the chance to choose two breakout sessions from the above options. Note that we can't guarantee everyone will be able to join their sessions of choice, but we will do our best.

Once you register, you’ll receive a confirmation email with a button that takes you to the Eventbrite Links page. This page will give you details for joining the the conference on Zoom. We will also send the direct link to the online event to registered attendees the

ICUJP is presenting this conference free of charge so that all can attend. If you’d like to help offset our costs, we gratefully welcome your support at http://icujp.org/donations.

For questions, please contact ICUJP at (213) 373-4006 or [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you there!