"We prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be."
About
Center for Peace, Equity & Justice
Peace Week
Peace Week 2025, will take place January 21-24. For nearly two decades, Friends Seminary has set aside this special week to reflect on the Quaker testimony of Peace. This year’s theme, Growing Together through Silence and Dialogue, aligns with our school-wide focus for the 2024-2025 academic year. Throughout the week, we will explore how intentional silence and meaningful dialogue can be transformative tools for fostering peace in our communities and the wider world.
We are thrilled to welcome Meredith Evans ’90, Director of the Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta, as our keynote speaker. Meredith, the first Black woman to direct a presidential library, was appointed to this role in 2015 by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). In her work, she emphasizes civic engagement, the role of the presidency in public policy, and expanding access to the records of President Carter and his administration. Meredith’s expertise spans the acquisition and preservation of diverse collections, community engagement, fundraising, and staff development. She is also an accomplished writer and speaker on the value of museums, libraries, and archives. Meredith holds advanced degrees in library science, public history, and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She will deliver her keynote on Thursday evening, January 23, at 6 PM. To attend this evening event, please click here. This event is free and open to the greater Friends community. The reception will start at 5:30 PM in the Common Room.
In addition to Meredith's visit, our Peace Week student assemblies on Friday, January 24, will feature:
Lesa Cline-Ransome, a beloved children’s book author, will lead presentations for Lower School students and Grades 5-6.
Friends Place on Capitol Hill, a Quaker learning center and guesthouse that offers hospitality centered in peace, civic education, and justice-based advocacy for learners and leaders of all ages.
Throughout the week, students across all grades will engage in classroom activities, division-wide programs, and all-school events that deepen their understanding of core values, social and environmental responsibility, and their role in bringing about a more peaceful world.
PREVIOUS PEACE WEEK THEMES AND SPEAKERS
2024 The Threads of Our Community Joy Harjo, speaker
2023
Gender Equity: Empowerment and Solidarity in the Struggle for Justice Masih Alinejad, speaker
2022 Let Your Life Speak: Reflecting on the Testimonies and Our Mission Community Meeting for Worship
2021 Tell Me Who You Are: Sharing Our Stories of Race, Culture & Identity Winona Guo and Priya Gulchi, speakers
Beyond the Numbers: The Economics of Peace Jeffrey Sachs, speaker
2009
In the Presence of Justice: The Politics of Peace Mary Robinson, speaker
2008
War Letters: Both Said and Sung Ethan Hawke, Julianne Moore, Elizabeth Palmedo and Crystal Sikora, speakers
2007
Environmental Stewardship – A Pathway to Peace James Turrell, speaker
2006
Nonviolence in the Age of Terrorism Arun Gandhi, speaker
2005
The Diplomat, the Activist and the Academic Pierre Schori, Susan Sarandon and Jessica Tuchman Mathews, speakers
Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer.