LiveFree OKC sends this information as posted below:
OKLAHOMA CITY (September 11, 2024) – LiveFree OKC will host its inaugural Peace Needs Conference from September 26 – 28, offering a banner lineup of speakers and thoughtful programming centered around collaboration, coordination and community-informed discussion to find unity and meaningful resolutions for ending the affliction of gun violence across the state. Tickets are $40. The conference will converge proven peacemaking strategies across community organizing, art, education, dialogue and advocacy in downtown OKC, with a welcome session on September 26 at 1 p.m. featuring Mayor David Holt, Oklahoma County Clerk Maressa Treat, Marilyn Luper-Hildreth from the Clara Luper Legacy Committee, Pastor Michael McBride with LiveFree USA and LiveFree OKC’s Executive Director Jabee Williams.
Named Peace Needs, because peace needs every one of us, the conference aims to create an inclusive, curated space for thought-leadership in an ongoing effort to eliminate gun violence in our communities. The organization has recently announced keynote addresses from two renowned activists, producer and musician Chuck D, and author and veteran Diana Oestreich. It will offer three days of networking, breakout sessions and keynote presentations, including breakfast, lunch and hors d’oeuvres at the Fordson Hotel in downtown OKC. A concert will occur at Beer City Music Hall on September 27, featuring Jabee, and fellow activists and musicians from Tulsa and Oakland, CA. Concert tickets are $20.
Nationally recognized speakers will include Pastor Michael McBride, Executive Director of LiveFree USA; Chief Charlie Beck, the former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department and the City of Chicago Police Department; and Dr. Chico Tillmon, co-founder and Executive Director of the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago. Panel topics will cover issues such as The Science of Community Violence Intervention (CVI), The CVI Solution to Violence, Police and CVI, Politics Aside: Building Consensus for Peace, Gun Violence in America: A Surgeon General’s Report, School Based Violence Intervention, The Church: Houses of Peace, Impact of Violence: A Family Perspective, Violence in the Media, Strategies to Reduce Violence in Rural OK, Organizing for Peace and Hospital-Based Violence Intervention. Local and national speakers will take to multiple stages during the conference, fulfilling the desire of organizers to initiate a more inclusive ecosystem for policy creation and open dialogue for city investment.
“We’re excited to host the Peace Needs Conference in OKC, where we’re bringing together some of the nation’s top community violence intervention (CVI) professionals,” said LiveFree OKC Executive Director Jabee Williams. “This is an incredible opportunity to learn from those on the front lines of this vital work and understand how we can apply their insights to build peace in our city, especially in light of the recent shootings that have deeply impacted our community. I’m also thrilled to have Chuck D as a keynote speaker. His lifelong commitment to peace is a great addition to the conversation.”
Established in August 2023, LiveFree OKC is the state’s only gun violence intervention program, currently operating as a pilot program in Northeast OKC. As of July 1, the nonprofit has helped 45 clients, conducted 121 interventions with 369 individuals and hired three full-time and two part-time PeaceMakers. From headquarters in Northeast OKC, LiveFree is active in the community, hosting seasonal events for neighbors, mediating issues in real-time and stands as a ready ally for residents navigating the circumstances and realities that contribute to gun violence, as declared a public health crisis by the United States Surgeon General in a recent advisory.
For more information and a full schedule of topics and speakers, please visit https://www.livefreeokc.org/peaceneeds. Tickets are available here. Existing photos of LiveFree can be found here, along with speaker bios, headshots and the program.
Free Press curates press releases from organizations and people we know to be reputable. If you would like to submit a well-written press release for us to publish on our site, please click the email icon at the top of this page.
