Voices of Change
This summit brings together a powerful mix of global advocates, scientists, economists, and grassroots change-makers — each helping to redefine what it means to build peace from the inside out.
Our speakers reflect a rich diversity of lived experience, insight, and action — from visionary leaders to community organizers. And we’re just getting started. New voices are joining every week, so check back often.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
“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.”
Dr. Riane Eisler