Brian McGinnis
Speaker
Veterans For Peace Annual Convention 2026
Peace Through Nonviolent Action: From Chaos to Community
Join us as we gather together in person and virtually for an exciting and informative convention with brilliant community organizers and activists.
Join us at this year’s convention as we organize, reflect, and build the future of a movement at a time when repression continues to rise, and war profiteers continue to harm.
- Hear about union organizing from powerful labor organizers who joined the international Sumud Flotilla to Gaza,
- And the professor of Labor and History from Cornell,
- Learn from Indigenous activists who speak about the history of white colonialism and imperialism that has been destroying their land and people in this country and continues its path in Gaza, the West Bank, Iran, Lebanon;
- Learn about the phony food distribution by the U.S.-Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation that staffed multiple sites in Gaza, committing war crimes against the people in Gaza;
- Learn about organizing and education efforts regarding the health impact on workers at highly contaminated nuclear weapons plants.
- Engage with VFP members working on these issues:
- Veterans’ health care
- Active duty outreach
- Migrant and student defense
- Climate and anti-militarism actions
who we are
Veterans For Peace is a national organization of veterans and allies working to promote peace, accountability, and justice. Our annual convention brings together voices committed to education, advocacy, and meaningful change.
Schedule
View the full convention agenda, including sessions, workshops, and special events.
Business Meeting
Access information about the annual Veterans For Peace business meeting and member participation.
Speakers
Meet the featured speakers, panelists, and special guests attending this year’s convention.
Sponsorship
Explore sponsorship opportunities and learn how to support this year’s convention.
Awards
Learn about the honors and recognitions presented during the convention.
Advertise in the Handbook
Advertising in the official Convention Handbook is a great way to connect with attendees and demonstrate your commitment to peace and justice.
About the Convention
The Veterans For Peace National Convention is an annual gathering that brings together members, supporters, and the broader community for several days of learning, reflection, and connection.
Through keynote speakers, panel discussions, and workshops, the convention explores the impact of war and the work needed to build a more peaceful future.
Attendees leave with a deeper understanding, stronger connections, and renewed purpose.
convention schedule
Explore a full lineup of keynote sessions, panels, workshops, and community gatherings throughout the convention.
(Additional sessions, speakers, and event details will be added as the program develops.)
Thursday
August 6, 2026
Friday
August 7, 2026
Saturday
August 8, 2026
Sunday
August 9, 2026
Registration
Welcome Reception
Poetry
Strong Buffalo
Speaker
Teresa Mai Chuc
Poet
Doug Rawlings
Co-Founder Veterans for Peace
Teresa Mai Chuc will be in-person.
Doug Rawlings will be via Zoom.
Strong Buffalo
Music - TBD
Film - TBD
Meditation/Yoga
AA Meeting
Tabling
Checkin Registration
Breakfast
Open Plenary Action
Michael McPhearson
Speaker
Susan Schnall
Board President, Veterans for Peace
Ann Suellentrop
Speaker
Dr. Daniel Wildcat
Speaker
- Dr. Daniel Wildcat
- Zahid Chaudry
- Ann Suellentrop
- Susan Schnall/Michael McPhearson
Lunch
Session #1 (Workshop)
Zeeyad Kadur
Speaker
Zahed Rahman
Speaker
Panel: The Two Faces of Genocide - Repression and Resistance w/ Joy Metzler (Moderator) Zahed Rahman and Zeeyad Kadur
There should also be a Panel page that gives the times & descriptions for each workshop. For now, this is the only one I have
The genocide in Gaza has garnered international attention and outrage, but in the West Bank, Palestine, a slower, quieter form of genocide has taken hold. Hear from two panelists - one who has been to Gaza during the genocide as a nurse, and one whose family is from the West Bank and continues to be targeted by Israel - about the accelerated massacres in Gaza and the deadly apartheid in the West Bank. The story of Palestine is one of colonialism, settler violence, and displacement, but it is also a story of resilience, community, and an international movement for liberation, all centered in on a land called Palestine.
Zahed Rahman
Zahed Rahman is an Indian-American nurse with 16 years of experience in all areas of adult medical/critical care and has served as a nurse in Gaza during the genocide. He has been on ABC, CNN, Al Jazeera, and has been featured in the NY Times, as well as been a keynote speaker at Rutgers University, Stevens University, and PAMA and IRUSA events. He's the current board member and co-founder of Humanity Above All and a co-host on the YouTube podcast, The Gray Line, which features Nurse Lana and Dr. Shehzad.
Zeeyad Kadur
Zeeyad Kadur is an advocate and relative who led a public campaign for the release of his 16-year-old nephew, Mohammed Ibrahim, a Palestinian-American teen from Florida detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank in February 2025. Kadur pushed for US intervention, highlighting his nephew's deteriorating health and lack of contact. Even after his nephew's release, he works tirelessly as an advocate for Palestine, locally and on the Hill.
Panel
Margaret Stevens
Speaker
Dr. Paul Ortiz
Speaker
Chris Smalls
Speaker
Chris Smalls, Paul Ortiz, Margaret Stevens (moderator)
Dinner
Speakers
Dr. Jared Ball
Speaker
Ann Wright
VFP Advisory Board Member
Ann Wright introduces Dr. Jared Ball
Panel
Jodie Evans
Speaker
Kelly Dougherty
Speaker
Brian McGinnis
Speaker
Anthony Aguilar
Speaker
Anthony Aguilar, Brian McGinnis, Kelly Dougherty (Jodie Evans)
Monear Shaer - Gaza is Our Home
Film
Meditation/Yoga
Meditation/Yoga
AA Meeting
AA Meeting
Breakfast
Tabling
Business Meeting
Convention Committee
Speaker
Executive Committee Reports
Resolutions/Bylaws Discussion
For the VFP Business Meeting Format, go to https://vfpconvention.org/business-meeting/
Workshop 1
Lunch (Box lunches)
Box Lunch
Workshop 2
Workshop 3
Special Meetings
Justin Loza
Speaker
- Post 911 Caucus
- Nurses Meeting
- Organizing Session (Justin Loza)
- Stop the Bleed
"The Event" Banquet
Mitch Walking Elk
Speaker
Rev. Yearwood
Speaker
- Presente
- Speaker: Rev Yearwood
- Speaker: Mitch Walking Elk
- Awards
- Fundraising
Film: Standing Rock
Gwendolen Cates
Speaker
Film: Standing Rock (Gwendolen Cates)
Meditation/Yoga
AA Meeting
Breakfast
Closing Plenary
Closing Plenary
Dorm Checkout
Nagasaki Event (Spencer Graves)
Concert (Bryson/KC Chapter) / Lemonade Park
meet our speakers
Hear from veterans, advocates, and leaders working toward peace and justice.
(Speaker lineup is continuing to evolve as the convention schedule develops.)
Reserve Your Spot Today!
Join veterans, military family members, peace advocates, and community organizers from across the country for the Veterans For Peace National Convention.
Register today to reserve your place, select lodging and meal options, and participate in a weekend of education, dialogue, and action.
What Attendees are saying
Tired, overwhelmed. Discouragement, hopelessness creeping in. Flight lands in Las Vegas, a place antithetical to most I stand for. Then one after another VFPer arrives. Hugs, laughter, and genuine heartfelt camaraderie. Exciting, creative, courageous, positive ideas, plans, and actions, directions with purpose. Community. Respite. Nourishment. Gratitude. VFP is doing what's right. Onward.
Anthony Donovan
The convention offered me a unique opportunity to meet fellow veterans whom I had never met and to get to know a number of them personally and to learn from them and be inspired by them. These conversations and the excellent speakers, really educators, were a powerful gift to me in this time when we all need massive infusions of soul power and truth.
Nick Mottern
Refreshing, beautiful, I found the VFP convention to be a very positive experience. It was my first one.
Burnout is understandable in this era, so it was truly wonderful, to see and meet with so many people tryin to build a peaceful and just world. Very informative workshops, the creation of the post 9/11 caucus, looking forward to my next one! - Adrian Fernandez ch.13 Tucson AZ
Adrian Fernandez
I love the convention. It’s a place to refill your soul cup with a community of like minded peacemakers. You leave with new ideas and renewed energy to take back to your community. It’s a chance to reflect, learn, and lock in on our mission. I highly recommend it.
Justin Loza
Location & Venue
University of Missouri
5100 Rockhill Road.
Kansas City, MO 64110
The venue is conveniently located near local accommodations, dining, and transportation. Additional details on lodging and travel are available on the Lodging & Travel page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about registration, lodging, meals, transportation, accessibility, or convention activities? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for answers to the most common attendee questions.