Voices for Peace 2025
Global Dialogue Series
Session I: Global Paradigm Shifts
June 26, 2025 | Virtual Launch
The world is experiencing dangerous intersecting paradigm shifts. Values like democracy, human rights, and peace are being challenged. Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) datasets show how the quality of democracy is deteriorating globally and there is a widespread move towards authoritarianism. Climate change is dismissed. Militarism accelerates. Migrants are mass-deported and incarcerated. Civilians are bombed, starved, silenced. Multilateral institutions are losing influence, and with it, the international commitment to collective responsibility and humanitarian principles.
In this volatile global context, how can we change course before it is too late?
Join us for the launch of Voices for Peace 2025, a virtual dialogue series convening insightful thinkers and activists to discuss this global crisis. Together, we will examine the shifting political climate, including the rise of authoritarianism in the United States and elsewhere, increasing repression, the weakening of multilateral cooperation, and the critical implications for the global peace and development agenda.
Session II: The U.S. Administration's Global Impact
USAID Freeze and Shifts in U.S. Immigration Policy
July 21-23, 2025, | Cape Town, South Africa
The freezing of USAID funding and regressive shifts in U.S. immigration policy have had swift and severe consequences for democratic development, peacebuilding, human rights, and civil society work globally—particularly in the Global South. These policy changes are threatening the viability of NGOs, CSOs, and grassroots movements, with already vulnerable communities bearing the brunt of this impact.
USAID has historically funded essential programs that support democratic governance, civil society, and human rights. The recent freeze and policy reversals are eroding progress, narrowing civic space, and undermining long-term efforts to build peace and justice.
To deepen understanding of these impacts, this Dialogue will bring together affected communities—immigrants, migrants, CSO leaders, community researchers, and policy analysts—to examine both the direct and indirect effects of U.S. actions. Through critical discussion and collective analysis, we aim to generate actionable recommendations to respond to the seismic shifts.
Findings will be amplified through media and advocacy and shared at the Peace Connect Global Gathering in Nairobi in October 2025.
Session III; Peace Connect 2025
Global Gathering of Local Peacebuilders and Their Allies
October 13–17, 2025 | Nairobi, Kenya
As part of its evolving response to today’s global paradigm shift, AFSC will partner with Peace Direct and sponsor Peace Connect 2025. This landmark gathering will convene over 500 peacebuilders—mostly from the Global South—for five days of deep dialogue, reflection, and strategy development. AFSC will fund participants to attend and lead discussions designed to build community and solidarity, elevate and sustain the peacebuilding sector, strengthen collaborative analysis and action, and forge alliances to counter global repression.
AFSC will share insights from the Voices for Peace series, particularly on the impacts of the USAID funding freeze and the shrinking of civic space. These stories, strategies, and solutions will then be carried forward to our final convening in Brussels in December 2025, where we will engage European institutions in supporting peacebuilding and democracy efforts worldwide.
Session IV; Information to Follow
December 2025 | Brussels
Invitations to join these convenings, and reports on the findings will be shared on this page as they become available.