Dr. Riane Eisler, JD, PhD(h), is a systems scientist, futurist, and cultural historian internationally known for her groundbreaking work on the roots of violence and the path to partnership. She is the author of numerous influential books, including The Chalice and the Blade—now in its 57th U.S. printing and translated into 27 languages—The Real Wealth of Nations, hailed by Desmond Tutu as “a template for the better world we have been so urgently seeking,” and Nurturing Our Humanity, co-authored with anthropologist Douglas P. Fry.
Recipient of the Distinguished Peace Leadership Award (also awarded to the Dalai Lama), Eisler is President of the Center for Partnership Systems, which applies her research to real-world change, and Editor-in-Chief of the Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies at the University of Minnesota. She has addressed the United Nations General Assembly, taught at major universities, and advised governments and organizations around the world.
Her pioneering work bridges human rights, gender justice, and systems thinking, offering a powerful framework for building more caring, equitable, and sustainable societies.

A man in a blue traditional shirt speaking into a microphone.

Joseph Akilimali is a Congolese peacebuilder and youth advocate who has dedicated his career to empowering young people as agents of peace. He is co‑founder and Executive Secretary of Youth for Peace DRC and serves as co‑chair of the Congolese Youth, Peace & Security (YPS) Coalition.
Joseph was instrumental in mobilizing over 50,000 young people across all 26 provinces of the DRC, leading a participatory advocacy and trauma‑healing campaign that gathered input to inform the first National Action Plan on Youth, Peace & Security (NAP‑YPS), officially adopted by the government on August 12, 2022. Under his leadership, the coalition engaged diverse youth populations—including people living with disabilities, young people in displacement camps, and members of political parties—through SMS, WhatsApp, KoboCollect surveys, and in‑person workshops.
Since 2021, Joseph has co‑chaired the Congolese YPS Coalition, bridging youth‑led platforms and government bodies to effectively institutionalize the UNSCR 2250 youth, peace, and security agenda. He currently works from Bukavu as Emergency Program Officer with Christian Aid DRC, where he supports young people in crisis‑affected regions through peacebuilding and resilience initiatives.

Mursalina Amin is the Founder and President of Girls Toward Leadership (G2L), an organization dedicated to empowering Afghan girls through leadership development, STEM education, and community engagement.
A passionate advocate for youth and women’s empowerment, she has spoken on global platforms, including the United Nations, where she has served as a speaker, panelist, and moderator addressing the urgent challenges faced by Afghan women and girls.
Mursalina brings a powerful combination of lived experience and visionary leadership, inspiring meaningful change in underserved communities. A recent graduate of the University of Tulsa, she is committed to deepening her work in international advocacy and building a more just and inclusive world.

A woman with medium-dark skin, shoulder-length black dreadlocks, wearing hoop earrings and a black blazer, smiling against a black background.

Dr. Ayo Ayoola-Amale is an attorney, conflict resolution consultant, and feminist peace activist committed to advancing human rights, nonviolence, and community development. With expertise in gender equality and girls’ education, she bridges legal practice with a deep commitment to social justice and inclusive peacebuilding.
Ayo’s innovative approaches often take the form of artistic expression and new frameworks that promote sustainable development. She holds advanced degrees in Law, Peace and Conflict Studies, and Restorative Practices, and brings a nuanced understanding of conflict dynamics and systemic change.
She is the founder of First Conflict Resolution Services Inc., the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom–Ghana, and International Cities of Peace–Lagos. An award-winning mediator, poet, and author, her book Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Justice in Ghana is widely recognized as a leading resource in the field.

Gary Barker, PhD, has been a global voice in engaging men and boys in advancing gender equality, gender justice, and positive masculinities for three decades. He is the CEO and co-founder of Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice, a major contributor to international activism on male allyship in gender equality.
He was the first Executive Director of Instituto Promundo in Brazil, where he led pioneering work on healthy masculinities. He is also the co-founder of MenCare, a global campaign active in more than 50 countries that promotes men’s involvement as caregivers, and co-founder of MenEngage, a global alliance of more than 700 NGOs.
Dr. Barker co-created the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) — the largest survey of men’s attitudes and behaviors related to violence, fatherhood, and gender equality. He also leads Equimundo’s State of the World’s Fathers reports, a major advocacy platform for the global care economy.
He has coordinated Equimundo’s partnerships in conflict-affected settings, including community-based trauma support and restorative justice initiatives in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Balkans, the U.S., and Brazil. He advises the United Nations, the World Bank, national governments, international foundations, and corporations on strategies to engage men and boys in promoting gender equality.
In 2017, he was named by Apolitical as one of the 20 most influential people in gender policy worldwide. He is an Ashoka Fellow and a recipient of the Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices for his work to engage men for gender equality.
Dr. Barker holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology and serves as a Research Affiliate at the Center for Social Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal. He lived in Latin America for nearly 20 years and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

Portrait of Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, speaker at the Peace Begins at Home Summit and longtime global advocate for the Culture of Peace, wearing a suit and glasses against a blurred green background.

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury is a distinguished career diplomat who has served in numerous high-level international roles, including Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, President of the UN Security Council, President of the UNICEF Executive Board, UN Under-Secretary-General, and Senior Special Advisor to the President of the UN General Assembly.
He is the recipient of numerous international honors, including the U Thant Peace Award, the UNESCO Gandhi Gold Medal for Culture of Peace, the Spirit of the UN Award, the University of Massachusetts Boston Chancellor’s Medal for Global Leadership for Peace, the Gandhi-King-Ikeda Community Builders Prize (2015), the Global Women’s Peace Award (2018), the Robert Muller Global Peace Prize (2020), the inaugural Global Citizen Award (2021), and the Visionary Leadership Award (2021), presented by civil society organizations.
Ambassador Chowdhury’s legacy is marked by two historic initiatives:
- In March 2000, as President of the UN Security Council, he led the political and conceptual breakthrough that resulted in the groundbreaking UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security.
- In September 1999, he played a key role in the adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace by the UN General Assembly.
In recognition of his contributions to peace, women's rights, and the strengthening of the United Nations, he has been awarded honorary doctorates by Soka University (Japan, 2003), Saint Peter’s University (USA, 2012), and the University of La Verne (USA, 2021).
He is the founder of the New York-based civil society coalition, The Global Movement for The Culture of Peace (GMCoP), and continues to advocate for peace, justice, and inclusive development worldwide.

Dr. Richard Davidson smiling while leaning against a wooden slatted wall, wearing a dark grey sweater over a brown turtleneck.

Dr. Richard Davidson is a neuroscientist, author, and pioneering researcher who has dedicated his life to understanding the science of well-being and the power of the human mind to change.
A longtime professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he is best known for his groundbreaking work on the impact of meditation and compassion on the brain.
He is the founder of the Center for Healthy Minds, a research institute that explores how mental training can cultivate emotional resilience, attention, kindness, and flourishing in individuals and communities. His decades-long collaboration with the Dalai Lama has helped bridge the worlds of science and contemplative wisdom, bringing mindfulness into classrooms, clinics, and everyday life.
Named one of the world’s most influential people by TIME magazine, Dr. Davidson has been widely recognized for reshaping how we think about mental health. His work continues to inspire a global movement toward inner awareness, emotional healing, and human connection.

Photograph of Ela Gandhi, South African peace activist and speaker at the Peace Begins at Home Summit, holding a microphone and speaking while seated. Granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, wearing a rust-colored shawl and glasses.

Ela Gandhi was born on 1 July 1940 at the historic Phoenix Settlement in Inanda, South Africa. She holds an Honours degree in Social Work from the University of South Africa and dedicated over 20 years to the fields of child welfare and career education.
From 1973 to 1982, Ela was placed under house arrest and subjected to banning orders for her anti-apartheid activism. Despite the risks, she continued her work in social justice and community development.
In 1993, she participated in the Convention for a Democratic South Africa and later served on the Transitional Executive Council. In 1994, she was elected to the first democratic Parliament of South Africa.
Ela Gandhi has received numerous awards from community organizations as well as from the South African and Indian governments. She holds four honorary doctorates from the Durban University of Technology, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Shridhar University in Pilani, India, and the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom.
She currently serves as Trustee and Chairperson of the Gandhi Development Trust, the Phoenix Settlement Trust, and the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Trust, and is also Co-President of Religions for Peace International.

Portrait of a woman with dark hair tied back, wearing traditional jewelry and a dark sweater, standing in front of stone arches.

Dr. Lyla June Johnston (aka Lyla June) is a poet, musician, and human ecologist who weaves Indigenous wisdom with contemporary thought to inspire healing across cultures, communities, and ecosystems.
Of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne), and European ancestry, she blends ceremony, scholarship, and song to uplift pathways of restoration rooted in ancestral knowledge.
Her work spans hip-hop, poetry, acoustic music, and public speaking—reaching audiences around the world with powerful messages on Indigenous resilience, youth empowerment, land stewardship, and intergenerational healing.
With degrees from Stanford and a doctorate in Indigenous food systems, her research illuminates how pre-colonial Native nations cultivated abundant, sustainable ecologies across the Americas.
Through every performance and presentation, Lyla calls us to remember our sacred relationship to the Earth and one another. Her life’s work is a prayer for reconnection, resilience, and a deeper love—for Creator, for community, and for the living world.

Satish Kumar is a peace-pilgrim, life-long activist, and former Jain monk who has inspired global change for more than 50 years. At the age of nine, he renounced the world to become a wandering monk; in his early twenties, he embarked on a two-year peace pilgrimage, walking without money from India to America to call for nuclear disarmament.
Now in his eighties, Satish is a leading voice for ecological regeneration, social justice, and spiritual fulfilment. He co-founded Schumacher College and founded The Resurgence Trust, an educational charity that publishes the long‑running magazine Resurgence & Ecologist, which Satish edited for over four decades—the UK’s longest tenure for a single magazine editor.
A world‑renowned author and international speaker, Satish’s bestselling autobiography No Destination has inspired tens of thousands worldwide. He has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, Thought for the Day, and Midweek, and has been featured in documentaries and interviews with figures including Richard Dawkins and Annie Lennox. Through his writing, teaching, and public talks, Satish continues to share his vision of a more just, compassionate, and sustainable world.

Scarlett Lewis is the founder of the nonprofit Choose Love Movement, created in honor of her six-year-old son, Jesse, who was tragically killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. In the days following his death, Scarlett discovered a message Jesse had left on their kitchen chalkboard: “Nurturing, Healing, Love.” These three words—part of the definition of compassion across all cultures—became the foundation of a powerful formula: courage + gratitude + forgiveness + compassion-in-action.
This message sparked a global movement that now reaches millions of children and adults. The Choose Love Movement offers free, comprehensive social-emotional learning programs for schools, homes, and communities, teaching critical life skills such as emotional regulation, resilience, and interpersonal connection.
Scarlett is the author of Nurturing Healing Love and From Sandy Hook to the World, and has shared her story and message on international stages and media platforms. A Forbes 50 Over 50 honoree and award-winning speaker, she is a passionate advocate for creating safer, more connected communities—one thoughtful choice at a time.

Portrait of a young man standing in front of a yellow wall, wearing a patterned shirt.

Sheku Mohamed Gassimu Jr. is the Partnership & Program Director at OneVillage Partners, a community-led development leader in Sierra Leone. With over eight years of experience at OVP, he designs and oversees programs that empower rural communities through participatory planning, leadership development, and women’s and youth-centered initiatives rooted in local wisdom and ownership.
Since joining OVP in 2014 as a community facilitator, Sheku worked his way through roles as program officer, supervisor, manager, and now leads nationwide program strategy and partnership engagement across Sierra Leone. Holding a BSc (Hons) in Sociology from Njala University, he applies academic insight to community-based action, championing development initiatives anchored in consensus and local leadership.
Under Sheku’s leadership, OneVillage Partners has expanded programming in agriculture, women’s financial literacy (NOW program), infrastructure, governance, and clean water—reaching tens of thousands through initiatives that only communities define and drive In 2025, he continues building partnerships and scaling locally owned impact across Kono and beyond, motivating community members to shape and sustain their own wellbeing trajectories.

A smiling woman with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a blue blazer and patterned blouse, standing against a neutral background.

Refilwe Mokoena is a development leader with more than 16 years of experience advancing social impact across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. As Head of the Child Safety & Protection Programme at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, she leads initiatives that strengthen child protection systems in homes, schools, and communities—environments where children live, learn, and play.
Previously, Refilwe served as Social Impact Director at GVI and Acting Director of Programmes at the Graça Machel Trust. She holds a Master of Management with distinction in Public & Development Sector Monitoring & Evaluation and is known for her data-driven, collaborative approach to building safe, nurturing ecosystems that uphold children’s rights and help them thrive.

Close-up of smiling woman with gray hair, wearing pearl earrings, outdoors with green leaves in the background.

Helena Norberg-Hodge is an author, filmmaker, and pioneer of the new economy movement. As founder of Local Futures and producer of the award-winning documentary The Economics of Happiness, she has spent more than four decades working with communities—particularly in Ladakh—to resist the damaging effects of globalization and revitalize traditional knowledge systems.
A recipient of the Right Livelihood Award (often called the “Alternative Nobel Prize”), Helena’s work powerfully connects ecological sustainability with economic justice and deep cultural renewal.

Zainab Salbi is a humanitarian, author, and media host who has dedicated her life to advancing women’s rights and global freedom. At the age of 23, she founded Women for Women International, an organization that has helped over 460,000 women survivors of war rebuild their lives through education, skills training, and financial support.
She is also the co-founder of Daughters for Earth, a philanthropic fund and movement that supports, celebrates, and mobilizes women to protect and restore the Earth. Throughout her career, Zainab has brought attention to the power of women’s voices in peacebuilding, environmental justice, and human rights.
Named to the TIME100 Impact List, she has been honored by Oprah Winfrey, People, and Harper’s Bazaar for her visionary leadership and lasting impact on women worldwide.

A smiling elderly woman with short, layered blonde hair wearing red glasses, a white blouse with ruffled collar, and a colorful beaded necklace.

Dr. Edit Schlaffer is a pioneering social scientist, author, and activist, and the founder of Women Without Borders and the global SAVE (Sisters Against Violent Extremism) network. With decades of experience in conflict-affected regions, she has dedicated her work to empowering women as agents of change—elevating their voices in the prevention of violence, radicalization, and extremism.
Through grassroots initiatives, policy engagement, and global advocacy, Dr. Schlaffer has championed the critical role of mothers and families in building more resilient and peaceful communities around the world.

Young man smiling with a blurred background of lights and buildings at night.

Eli Stone is a Gen‑Z marketing entrepreneur and storyteller whose content explores mental health, positive masculinity, and what it means to grow up in the digital age.

He built a combined following of approximately 1.2 million across TikTok and Instagram by early 2023, using authentic short‑form storytelling to foster connection and spark conversations around young men’s wellbeing.
Born and raised in Centennial, Colorado, Eli earned a degree in Business Management with emphases in Strategy & Entrepreneurship and Leadership from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2021, where he co‑founded his first digital marketing firm—later evolving into Bouta, a Gen‑Z consulting agency bridging brands to younger audiences.
Based in Los Angeles, Eli has launched influencer‑driven ventures including content creation agencies and events; he’s spoken about burnout, mental health, and community in creative spaces while also helping brands engage authentically with Gen‑Z consumers.
Currently, he is particularly focused on destigmatizing peer mental health and promoting positive masculinity among young men.

Dr. Yalda T. Uhls is a developmental psychologist, author, and former film executive who has dedicated her career to shaping media that supports the healthy development of young people. After nearly two decades at major studios like MGM and Sony, she turned her focus to research, earning a Ph.D. from UCLA to study how digital media impacts youth well-being.
She is the founder of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers, a groundbreaking organization that brings together researchers and creatives to build more inclusive, authentic narratives for the next generation. Her work has helped reimagine how stories are told—on screens big and small—to reflect the realities and needs of today’s children and teens.
A trusted voice at the intersection of entertainment and child psychology, Dr. Uhls teaches at UCLA and advises leading organizations including the NAACP, YouTube, and Common Sense Media. Her insights have been featured in The New York Times, NPR, and Time, and her book Media Moms and Digital Dads continues to guide parents navigating the digital age.

Portrait of Diane Williams smiling against a plain light background, with shoulder-length dark hair and wearing a green patterned blouse.

Diane Marie Williams is the Founder and President of The Source of Synergy Foundation and a pioneering voice in conscious evolution. She co-initiated the Evolutionary Leaders Circle with Deepak Chopra, a global community committed to uplifting humanity through spiritual and social transformation.
Diane served as Founding Chairperson of the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns at the United Nations in New York and later as Co-Chair in Geneva. She is currently a UN Representative for the Academy for Future Science, a Board Member of the Garden of Light, and serves on the Boards of Advisors for Humanity’s Team and the Interstellar Community Foundation.

Diane also co-facilitates the Contact and Conscious Evolution Synergy Circle and its Inner Focus Group within the Evolutionary Leaders Circle.
A contributing author to the Gold Nautilus Award-winning book Our Moment of Choice, she has received numerous honors including the Spirit of the United Nations Award, the Golden Rule Award, the PEMAC Peace Award, and recognition as one of the Emily Fund’s Heroes for a Better World.
Diane will be acting as the facilitator of the Solutions Showcase at the Peace Begins at Home Summit.

Voices of Change

“We cannot expect peace in the world until we address the hidden foundations of violence — the structures of domination in our families and communities.
This Summit brings those conversations to the forefront.”

Join us for a day of insight, action, and real-world solutions.

Voices of Change

“We cannot expect peace in the world until we address the hidden foundations of violence — the structures of domination in our families and communities. This Summit brings those conversations to the forefront.”

Join us for a day of insight, action, and real-world solutions.

“We cannot expect peace in the world until we address the hidden foundations of violence — the structures of domination in our families and communities.
This Summit brings those conversations to the forefront.”