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#NoWar2026 Conference: Beyond Borders

A Global Online Conference Unpacking How the War System Drives Displacement & Militarizes Borders

Friday, October 23 - Sunday, October 25, 2026 on Zoom

Join us on October 23-25 for #NoWar2026: Beyond Borders, World BEYOND War’s annual global conference hosted on Zoom. 

War and militarism drive people from their homes, causing mass displacement. And the very same weapons companies profiting from war and conflict cash in when governments militarize borders and block the movement of people fleeing violence. Throughout three days of panels, workshops, and breakout rooms, the #NoWar2026 Conference will examine the interconnections of the war system, migration, and the border industry, with case studies from around the world.

#NoWar2026 will create a space for global dialogue among activists, organizers, researchers, and educators to share lived experiences, learn from each other, and strategize for a world beyond the violence of both war and borders. 

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#NoWar2026 Schedule

All sessions will be broadcast on Zoom. All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Friday, October 23, 2026

Find the time in your time zone.

1:00pm-1:30pm EDT: Welcome & Opening Remarks from WBW’s Co-Founder and Executive Director David Swanson

World BEYOND War’s Co-Founder and Executive Director David Swanson will provide the opening remarks for the #NoWar2026 Conference, with an introduction to World BEYOND War’s mission and the conference theme.

World BEYOND War Chapter Coordinators from around the world will share short updates about their educational programs and nonviolent activism campaigns towards war abolition. Moderated by WBW Vice President Liz Remmerswaal.

Featuring:

Featuring a live performance by Taína Asili, a dynamic singer, composer, interdisciplinary artist, and activist carrying on the tradition of her Puerto Rican ancestors, fusing past and present struggles into one soulful and defiant voice.

Session introduced by Gabriel Aguirre, WBW Latin America Organizer. 

Featuring:

  • Josephine Solanki, Transnational Institute
  • Todd Miller, Co-Founder of The Border Chronicle
  • Syed Hussan, Executive Director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change and a member of the Migrant Rights Network Secretariat
  • Moderated by Dr. Sarah Turnbull, Associate Professor of Sociology and Legal Studies at the University of Waterloo (Canada)

Session introduced by WBW board member Robert Fantina.

Meet other conference participants from around the world and have a chance for networking and discussion.

Saturday, October 24, 2026

Find the time in your time zone.

9:00am-9:15am EDT: Performance by Penboy

Featuring a live performance by Cameroonian spoken word poet and artivist Penboy. He is known for using his words to express his views on social and political issues, particularly the Anglophone crisis in his home country. 

Session introduced by WBW Africa Organizer Guy Feugap. 

Featuring:

  • Hannah Lee, Coalition Building Committee Co-Coordinator at Korea Peace Now! Grassroots Network
  • Dr. Wesam Amer, former Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Languages at Gaza University
  • Adriana Jasso, Program Coordinator for the U.S./Mexico Border Program of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
  • Moderated by Khawaja Hammad Akbar, a Pakistani geopolitical scientist, futurist, and decolonization strategist

Session introduced by WBW board member Robert Fantina.

Hybrid session on Zoom and in-person in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Details to come.

This session is generously sponsored by Dr. Michael D. Knox and the US Peace Memorial Foundation.

Featuring:

  • Helena Maleno Garzón, Founder and CEO of Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders Collective)
  • Yasmin Ullah, a Rohingya human rights activist and Executive Director of the Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network
  • Norbert Byambo Kagosi, Coordinator of the Isingiro Nakivale chapter of World BEYOND War
  • Moderated by Mir Rahimi, Founder of Edu-Change and author of Across Mountains, Land and Sea: One Boy’s Extraordinary Journey

Session introduced by Jhay de Jesus, WBW’s Asia Organizer. 

Meet other conference participants from around the world and have a chance for networking and discussion.

Sunday, October 25, 2026

Find the time in your time zone.

12:00pm-12:15pm EDT: Performance by Farah Chamma

Live performance by Palestinian poet and performer Farah Chamma.

Session introduced by Jonathan Solari, WBW’s Major Donor Liaison. 

Facilitator: Sal Corbin of DC Peace Team. 

In the chaos of this world, do you ever feel stuck in judgments about a particular person or situation—and maybe even yourself? Can you imagine, for just a moment, what it might be like to create a bit of space from these limiting beliefs? In this session, we’ll apply principles and practices from Nonviolent Communication (NVC) to look underneath these limiting beliefs and tap into what matters most. We will explore how to engage, accept, and respect others with different perspectives, and how to create spaces for conversation and/or transformation—both for themselves and for creating a world more at peace.

Session introduced by John Reuwer, WBW Treasurer and Board Member. 

Featuring:

  • Activist and writer Harsha Walia, author of Undoing Border Imperialism (2013) and Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism, and the Rise of Racist Nationalism (2021)
  • Writer, policy expert, and campaigner Gracie Mae Bradley, co-author of Against Borders (2022)
  • Journalist John Washington, author of The Case for Open Borders (2024)
  • Moderated by Dr Mujib Abid, an Afghan-Australian scholar of modern Afghan history, peace studies and political theory

Session introduced by WBW Canada Organizer Rachel Small. 

World BEYOND War’s Board President Kathy Kelly will offer closing words with key takeaways from the 3 days of sessions and next steps for continued engagement in the global nonviolent movement to end all war.

Meet other conference participants from around the world and have a chance for networking and discussion.

Sponsors & Endorsers

Individuals and organizations are invited to make a financial contribution to sponsor the conference. Sponsors receive perks, such as conference tickets, social media posts promoting the sponsor, and more. Sponsor here!

Alternatively, organizations are invited to endorse the conference, which does not require a financial contribution. Endorsers are listed on the conference website and are expected to help promote the event to their networks. Endorse here!

Sponsors

War Abolisher Sponsors:
Peacemaker Sponsors:

Endorsers