LEPOCO celebrates its more than 50 years of working for Peace and Justice at the LEPOCO Annual Dinner, every spring. Volunteers prepare a scrumptious vegetarian meal, there’s an art raffle of beautiful items donated by very talented artists/craftspeople, and we commission a speaker who inspires us to continue doing the work we do.
Call the office, 610-691-8730, if you’d like to help plan or volunteer on the day of the event.
LEPOCO Annual Gathering with special guest, Chris Ney.
“Friendship As Peacemaking“
Saturday, April 6, 2024, 4 pm (doors open @ 3:30)
Lehigh Valley Friends Meeting
4116 Bath Pike, Bethlehem PA
(Route 512, 1/2 mile north of Route 22)
Call the LEPOCO office, 610-691-8730, for more information or to make a reservation.
Chris Ney, a native of Allentown, now lives in Massachusetts, and is pastor of Central Congregational Church in Newburyport. His master’s thesis was written on the Sebastian Acevedo Anti-Torture Movement, and their use of nonviolent direct action to protest torture in Chile. He has regularly visited Chile since he participated in a foreign study program there in 1988. He currently co-chairs the National Committee of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and previously served as Disarmament Coordinator at the War Resisters League.
Previous Annual Dinner Speakers
*Not a complete list – Many of these are linked to either an information page or video.
April 6, 2024 – Chris Ney: “Friendship As Peacemaking
March 11, 2023 – Reggie Harris: “The Role of Community, Culture and Relationship in Making Social Change“
April 23, 2022 – Stephen Miles: “War & Peace: The Biden Era & Beyond”
March 13, 2021 – Roberta Meek – Song Talk: “From Sojourner Truth to Stacey Abrams: The Unfinished Battle for Voting Rights” via ZOOM
March 21, 2020 – Reggie Harris– cancelled
March 23, 2019 – Frida Berrigan – “How Nuclear Weapons Ruined My Life: They’re Probably Ruining Yours too”
March 17, 2018 – Kathy Kelly – “Unshackling Ourselves: Lessons from War Zones”
March 18, 2017 – Michael McPherson – “Organizing, Resistance & Triumph: This Is Our Time”
March 12, 2016 – Ann Wright – “Peace Conversions”
February 28, 2015 – Stephen Miles – “Winning Without War”
March 29, 2014 – Randy Kehler – “Resisting the Secrecy & Lies that Make War (& Other Forms of Violence) Possible”
March 16, 2013 – Medea Benjamin – “Building Peace in the Age of Drone Warfare”
March 3, 2012 – Ray McGovern – “The Moral Imperative of Activism”
March 5, 2011 – David Wildman – “Peace in Afghanistan”
March 6, 2010 – Rev. Billy and Members of the Church of Life After Shopping
March 14, 2009 – Jennifer Harbury
See the full list of previous years’ speakers HERE:
Photos from LEPOCO Annual Dinner 2019
