When police pepper-sprayed and arrested a group of activists at Occupy UC Davis in California in 2011, the Rev. Kristin Stoneking (then campus chaplain) stepped in, helping alleviate a tense, and potentially violent situation between law enforcement, university administration and students.
Demonstrators recorded the event on their mobile devices, and it didn’t take long for the incident to go viral.
On March 8 at 2 p.m. during the keynote address at the 2014 Peace and Economic Justice Action Conference, Stoneking will discuss that moment and how it’s influenced her work in finding nonviolent alternatives to conflict.
She now serves as the executive director of The Fellowship of Reconciliation, an organization PJALS has been affiliated with for almost four decades.
Stoneking said that in her lecture, “Going viral: Pepper spray, the Panopticon and Peace,” she’ll talk about the technological tools activists have at their fingertips.
“I’ll reflect a little on what going viral means these days, what it means to be seen,” she said. “One of the tools that we can use is our phones.”
She said events involving police seem to change when people’s cell phones come out.
Stoneking added that many people may not be used to taking out their phones, taking video, and uploading them to the Web immediately.
“So part of this is empowering them to know this is something they can do, and do effectively,” she said.
Stoneking will also lead a workshop during the conference where she’ll further discuss community building and non-violence in action.
Her wish, she said, is that people will leave inspired.
“I hope the community will be brought together in Spokane, but people will also feel connected to activists across the globe and feel affirmed,” she said.
Her peace making went viral, she noted, but oftentimes activism is made of behind-the-scenes slogging that can seem to go unnoticed.
It all makes a difference, though, she said.
“It all really does add up,” Stoneking said. “It does matter, it does add up to change over time and it’s easy to get discouraged.”
Liz Moore, PJALS director, said the conference regularly brings nearly 200 progressives to Spokane from across the region. She hopes attendees will leave with sharper skills, deeper relationships and a renewed ability to create strong strategies so they can together create change.
Numerous workshops will be offered during the conference, including a panel on Smart Justice, knowing one’s rights with the police, a Veterans for Peace workshop on military recruitment, board development. A full list of workshops can be found here.
“One of the great things about the conference is just being in a room with close to 200 other progressives in Spokane,” Moore said. “It’s a really energizing and inspiring event and people tell us they leave with their battery charged up. It’s a great feeling.”
The conference begins with an opening reception March 7 at 6 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane. Registration is not required for the opening reception.
Tickets for the March 8 day-long conference, which will also be at the Unitarian church, (from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), are $40 for the general public, $30 for PJALS members and sponsoring groups, and $15 for those “living lightly.” Tickets can be purchased online (preferred) or at the door.
