The Stand
Le Moyne College played host to the Central New York Peace Studies Consortium’s 21st annual Peace Studies Conference Saturday, Nov. 14.
The theme of this year’s conference was “Youth, Drugs, Violence and Gangs: Global, national and local challenges.” Panel discussions covered issues such as developing peaceful learning environments, group building, education in detention centers and reintegrating prisoners into the community.
The event’s keynote speaker was Onondaga County Human Rights Commissioner Julius Edwards. A graduate of Corcoran High School, Edwards hoped to inspire people to think not just with their brain but also their heart.
“Solutions require deep thought, the imagination of innovation, and the depth of compassion and love,” he said before his speech.
Edwards also said that he felt growing up on the South Side had shaped him and prepared him for his career.
“The South Side provided me with the sort of backdrop for understanding, appreciating and embracing the struggle,” he said.
— Video shot by John Garcia, master’s student at S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications