AfterHarding officials last week denied their support and facilities to the Peace by Piece conference, the student-run organization has moved its February event to the Underground coffee shop.
ThePeace by Piece conferenceis hoping to provide an educational dialogue about the importance of community and the pursuit of peace. The group had planned to host this event at Harding until receiving a statement from administrators stating concern that speakers may have beliefs conflicting with the University’s central values.
According to the confirmed attendance on the group’sFacebook page, more than 200 people are expected to attend the Peace by Piece conference. This made the search for a new venue difficult since there are few facilities in Searcy large enough to accommodate their needs.
The directors of Peace by Piece believe the Underground is the solution to their problem.
“I feel like this is going to be even better,” Ashley Reeves said, advertising director for Peace by Piece. “This will allow us to get better in touch with the community, which is exactly what this conference is about.”
According to conference director Dave Pritchett, the group was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to organize the event with the Underground. Furthermore, Peace by Piece is now inquiring with other establishments — like the Rialto theater — in downtown Searcy tosee if they will host parts of the conference and further emphasize the group’s theme of community.
The conference was created to help support theKhora project, a group of Harding students that is planning, amongst other projects, to eventually work among the Dogan people of Mali. Pritchett is a leader of both the Khora project and the Dogon team.
“We believe that intentional community is the best way to work toward a more just and peaceful world,” Pritchett said. “The Khora Project has as its main goal the formation and nurturing of intentional communities to work among resource poor settings.”
Peace by Piece will rely largely on ticket sales to pay for the costs of the endeavor. Organizers are also accepting donations and have already received sponsorship from Helping Hands international, Pritchett said. Tickets are $15 for students and can be purchased online at pbpconference.org. The ticket price will increase to $25 in January.
“My hope is that all who attend the conference will be challenged to think about and converse with others about the centrality that justice, peace, virtue, and community must have in our lives,” Reeves said. “Also, I am excited about creating an environment for speaking with each other about how we can each embody these truths in unique, creative ways.”
