The Peace We Make: A Student-Led Buffett Symposium
June 12, 2026
Young people are leading global efforts to end conflict, defend human rights, and advocate for sustainable peace. A student-led Buffett Symposium this past fall brought together activists, politicians, NGO leaders, and negotiators from across the world to explore how youth are transforming the future of peace and justice. Watch the short recap video.
The daylong program included:
Opening Plenary with Claire Hajaj, Executive Director of Inter Mediate
- Moderated by Liana Liu Ioannides
Panel Discussion: Youth Architects of Peace
- Alana Gebremariam, Belarusian pro-democracy activist and elected member of the Coordination Council facilitating a democratic transfer of power in Belarus
- Amos Kiyingi, Founder and National Director of Uganda Unites
- Cristina Rosero-Arteaga, Senior Legal Adviser for the Center for Reproductive Rights’ Latin America & Caribbean Program
- Moderated by Giavanna Chopra
Conversation with Nadia Murad, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and founder of Nadia's Initiative
- Moderated by Wendy Pearlman, Jane Long Professor of Arts & Sciences and Professor of Political Science, Northwestern University
Closing Roundtable: Call to Action
- Sama Abusweireh, Dasha Dubinina, and Karo Harutyunyan, members of the Institute’s Youth & Peacebuilding Working Group, convened to reflect on the day's discussions
- Moderated by Jacqueline Azpeitia, Rotary Peace Centers Program Manager for The Rotary Foundation