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THEME: Peace Through Human Dignity: Justice, Mass Incarceration, and Immigration Detention in the United States
October 6 and 7, 2026. The 2026 Annual Westheimer Peace Symposium draws upon the theme of “peace and social justice,” focusing on mass incarceration in the United States' Prison System and Immigration Detention System. The two-day symposium will bring together educators, legal experts, scholars, activists and artists to examine these systems through a multi-disciplinary lens of the College’s core Quaker values of peace and social justice, as well as democratic and human rights. The event is free and open to the public. A detailed schedule and registration information will follow on September 8, 2026: https://www.wilmington.edu/westheimer
Notable speakers and facilitators to include:
- Dr. Saskia Boggs, Associate Professor of Psychology, Wilmington College
- Dr. Laura Clapp, Assistant Professor of Music, Wilmington College
- Ms. Hope Florea, PEP Site Coordinator, Wilmington College
- Dr. Laura Heller, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Wilmington College
- Mr. David Lapp, co-founder of Braver Angels and director of the Citizens Commission on Immigration at Braver Angels
- Mr. Bob Lucas, Folk musician, music educator, and songwriter
- Dr. Ursula McTaggart, Professor of English and Prison Education Program Area Coordinator, Wilmington College
- Dr. Lindsey Mattern, Assistant Professor of Biology, Wilmington College
- Mr. Aaron Nell, Prison Education Program Site Coordinator, Wilmington College
- Members of the Returning Artists Guild, an abolitionist guild of directly-impacted practicing artists
- Mr. Pierce Reed, Director of Policy, Legislation, and Communications for the Ohio Innocence Project
- Mr. Gil Rocha, a contemporary artist born and raised in Laredo, Texas
- Dr. Catherine Roma, DMA, Professor Emeritus of Music, Wilmington College, Director, World House Choir
- Mr. Joe Spring, founder of Cincinnati-based Spring Legal Law Firm
- Ms. Samantha Searles, Program Director, Ignite Peace with a special focus on immigration justice
- Mr. Ayman Solimon, former Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Chaplain, who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in summer 2025
- Dr. Jonathan Sparks-Franklin, Assistant Professor of Religion & Philosophy