DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .
An article by Carlos Rosado van der Gracht from Yucatan Magazine
The International Peace Conference in Mérida will feature prominent voices such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum and civil rights leader Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr., better known as Al Sharpton, the firebrand TV pundit and activist.
This regional gathering, organized by UADY, The World House Project Inc., and the Yucatán state government, will take place at the Siglo XXI convention center.
Over three days starting Feb. 4, civic, business, academic, government, and student leaders, as well as activists, will discuss actions to address today’s challenges in peace and justice through dialogue, education, and strategic action.
The conference aims to build a global network for civic awareness and create social infrastructure focused on promoting peace and justice. It will also invite analysis of significant challenges and opportunities for international peace.
Rigoberta Menchú will share her vision for building peace through human rights and social justice. Johnny J. Mack, founder of The World House Project, will present a talk on the World House vision and the metalogic of nonviolence.
Additionally, Rosa Wolpert Kuri, a UNESCO representative, will give the presentation “Without Education, There Is No Peace.” Other experts, including Francisco Javier Gorjón Gómez, Roberto José Beltrán Zambrano, Alberto Manuel Athié Gallo, and Fernando de la Mora Salcedo, will address key topics such as a culture of peace, nonviolent action in the 21st century, and current global scenarios.
The sessions aim to identify three main focus areas: Direct Action, which uses peaceful tactics to mobilize people, challenge injustice, and create pressure for change; Cultural Transformation, which shifts mindsets and social norms through art, storytelling, education, and spiritual leadership; and Structural Change, which reforms policies, systems, and institutions to build equity, justice, and peace.
The conference will also feature a Youth for Peace Agenda. This includes keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, intergenerational dialogues, and cultural activities with performances by the UADY Ballet, the University Regional Orchestra, and other musical groups.
Members of the general public may attend the conference by completing the online registration and paying the participation fee of MX$2,800 via bank deposit or transfer, or MX$2,910 via PayPal. Deadline is Feb. 2. Visit https://conferenciadepaz.uady.mx/.
About Rigoberta Menchú
Rigoberta Menchú grew up in a small Mayan village in Guatemala. As a young woman, she experienced injustice and violence during her country’s long civil war, in which family members were killed. Her courageous work for social justice and peace was recognized globally when she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992. She used this honor to bring even more attention to the struggles of Indigenous communities everywhere. Today, she continues to travel and teach, emphasizing that lasting peace must be built on a foundation of human rights, dignity, and fairness for all people.
Menchú remains one of the Maya world’s loudest voices on social justice, enduring peace and cultural preservation.
(Continued in right column)
The Nobel Peace Prize: Does it go to the right people?
(Continued from left column)
The Program
World House Project 2026 International Peace Conference
The World House Project 2026 International Peace Conference takes place over three days at the Centro de Convenciones Siglo XXI, bringing together global thought leaders, activists, and students to explore pathways toward peace and justice. The conference halls were renamed for the occasion.
Wednesday, February 4
The conference opens with a special youth-focused morning session, the JuventudES Paz Agenda, exclusively for high school students from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Mahatma Gandhi Hall (Chichén Itzá 6).
General registration begins at 3 p.m. at the Rigoberta Menchú Tum Passage, followed by the Opening Ceremony at 4 p.m. in the Martin Luther King Jr. Hall (Chichén Itzá 4 and 5).
The inaugural keynote at 5 p.m. features Master Joaquín Díaz Mena, Governor of the State of Yucatán, presenting the “Allies for Life Program.” This is followed at 6 p.m. by Reverend Al Sharpton, who delivers the day’s second keynote address.
Concurrent with the opening sessions, the Mandalas Peace Hub hosts a Human Rights Journey from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Malala Yousafzai Hall (Uxmal 4) and Nelson Mandela Hall (Chichén Itzá 2 and 3).
The first day concludes with a cultural performance at 7 p.m. featuring the UADY Ballet and University Folk Orchestra in Nelson Mandela Hall.
Thursday, February 5
The day begins at 9 a.m. with a keynote address by Dr. Rigoberta Menchú Tum in Martin Luther King Jr. Hall, followed by three consecutive morning sessions: Dr. Francisco Javier Gorjón Gómez speaks on “Peace from Peace: Foundation for Building Peace” at 10 a.m., and Dr. Roberto José Beltrán Zambrano presents “The Right Time for Peace: Culture of Peace and Nonviolent Action in the 21st Century” at 11 a.m.
After a midday break from noon to 1 p.m., Dr. Johnny J. Mack delivers his keynote “Vision of the World House and the Metalogic of Nonviolence” at 1 p.m.
The afternoon shifts to interactive formats with panel discussions, presentations, and workshops running from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Mahatma Gandhi Hall. Simultaneously, an Intergenerational Dialogue for the Next Generation takes place from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., also in Mahatma Gandhi Hall, while the Mandalas Peace Hub continues its Human Rights Journey programming in both Malala Yousafzai and Nelson Mandela Halls.
The evening features a cultural performance by the musical group Polifonía and collaborating artists at 7 p.m. in Nelson Mandela Hall.
Friday, February 6
The final day opens at 9:30 a.m. with Master Rosa Wolpert Kuri from UNESCO presenting “Without Education There Is No Peace” in Martin Luther King Jr. Hall.
At 10:30 a.m., Master Alberto Manuel Athié Gallo addresses “Where Are We Going? Between Uncertainty, Surprise, Emerging Doubts, and the New World Order,” followed at 11:30 a.m. by Master Fernando de la Mora Salcedo speaking on “Mexico, the World, and the Culture of Peace.”
The conference concludes with a panel discussion at 12:30 p.m. titled “Where Are We Going in Building Peace and Justice in Latin America? Next Collective Steps,” featuring Master Rosa Wolpert Kuri, Master Héctor Dada Sánchez, and Dr. José Luis Espinoza Navarrete, moderated by Dr. Celia Rosado Avilés.
The closing ceremony takes place at 1 p.m., bringing the three-day international gathering to its conclusion.
– – – – – –
If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on (name of article)” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.