Introducing VCWA’s 2026 International Day of Peace Theme
The world is shifting. Technology, shifting alliances, economic uncertainty, and global challenges are reshaping how people connect, communicate, and engage with one another. These forces may seem distant, but they increasingly influence our communities, institutions, and everyday lives here in Vermont. Join the Vermont Council on World Affairs on Wednesday, September 23rd for the 2026 State of the World Summit, a full-day gathering designed to help Vermonters better understand the forces reshaping the global landscape and what they mean for our future.
Through keynote conversations, panel discussions, and interactive dialogue, attendees will examine the issues defining this moment—from emerging technologies and the information landscape to economic change, sports, international cooperation, and the ways culture and connection can build bridges across borders.
International Day of Peace
Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, International Day of Peace represents a globally shared day for all humanity to commit to building a culture of peace in communities around the world. The Vermont Council on World Affairs is excited to once again celebrate International Day of Peace with programming focused on this important topic.
Agenda
8:15 AM — Doors Open, Coffee & Networking
8:30 AM — Welcome Remarks by Patrick Brown and Patricia Preston
8:40 AM —State of the World Address by Major General Harder
9:00 AM — Fighting Disinformation with J.J. Green a National Security Correspondent
10:00 AM – Break
10:15 AM — Panel: From Maple Syrup to Microchips: How Global Economics and Geopolitics Shape Vermont
11:15 AM — Networking & Book Signing with J.J. Green
12:00 PM — Lunch is served
12:20 PM — The Diplomacy of Sport: What International Sport Teaches Us About Peace by Lowell Bailey - Four Time Olympian, Gold Medalist and World Champion
1:30–2:30 PM — Community Conversation with a Dessert Reception & Coffee
General Details
Wednesday, September 23rd
8:00 am - 2:30 pm | Hula Lakeside
Tickets:
Full-day: $75
Registration Closes Sept 15th, or when event is full
Special pricing for VCWA Members - email info@vcwa.org for more information
Full-day tickets include breakfast, lunch, afternoon refreshments, and exclusive networking opportunities.
Please see parking details here.
*VCWA is committed to ensuring our programs are accessible. If the registration fee would prevent you from attending, please contact us at info@vcwa.org to discuss available financial assistance.
What to expect at this summit
Attendees will have full access to all sessions, high-profile speakers, and exclusive networking opportunities. Attendees will experience thought-provoking content from multiple speakers and panelists, along with meaningful conversations, all designed to foster connection and collaboration.
The experience also includes breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon reception with light refreshments to provide time to engage with fellow attendees. Through a combination of learning, discussion, and connection, this event offers a valuable opportunity to be inspired, exchange ideas, and participate in a shared community experience.
Summit Overview
Major General Henry U. Harder, Jr., Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard, will open the Summit with a perspective on the changing global security landscape, emerging challenges, and the role of the United States in an increasingly complex world. His remarks will help set the stage for a day of conversations about how global events and international relationships affect Vermont.
Session 1:
State of the World Address
Speaker:
Major General Harder | Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard
Session 2:
Fighting Disinformation
Award-winning national security correspondent J.J. Green draws on more than two decades of reporting on wars, intelligence operations, NATO, and international security to examine how nations such as Russia, China, and Iran—and increasingly, domestic actors within the United States—use information operations to influence public opinion, undermine trust, and advance strategic objectives. Drawing on the research behind his book, The Noise War: How to Fight Disinformation and Find the Truth When Everything Is Lying to You, Green explores how disinformation has become a powerful tool of modern conflict and offers practical, accessible strategies for recognizing manipulation, finding reliable information, and building resilience in an increasingly complex information environment. The program is nonpartisan and designed for audiences of all backgrounds. The presentation is nonpartisan, designed for a broad audience, and focused on practical solutions to help communities build resilience against disinformation.
Jim Welch | Former Executive director of VTDigger and Co-founder of USA Today
Moderator:
Speaker:
J.J. Green | National Security Correspondent at WTOP News and author of The Noise War: How to Fight Disinformation and Find Truth When Everything is Lying to You
Purchase J.J. Green’s Book, The Noise War: How to Fight Disinformation and Find the Truth When Everything Is Lying to You, here before the event for the book signing.
Session 3: Panel
From Maple Syrup to Microchips: How Global Economics and Geopolitics Shape Vermont
This panel will dive into the recent examples of how foreign policy becomes local: the impact of U.S. military engagement in the Middle East on the global economy. The security of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes, has implications far beyond the region. Changes in shipping security, energy prices, insurance costs, and global supply chains can ripple through the U.S. economy, affecting everything from fuel and fertilizer prices to manufacturing costs and grocery bills in Vermont.
This discussion will explore how current geopolitical conflict, trade policy, energy security, and industrial strategy are increasingly interconnected, and how decisions made in Washington and abroad shape economic opportunities and challenges for Vermont's farmers, businesses, workers, and consumers.
ANSON TEBBETTS | Secretary of Agriculture, Food & Markets
AMY SPEAR | President of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce
MELISSA WILLARD-FOSTER| Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Vermont
MIKE RAINVILLE | President of Maple Landmark, Inc.
Panelist:
In a world increasingly defined by division and geopolitical tension, sport remains one of the few arenas where nations still choose to show up together. In the State of the World Summit keynote, four-time Olympian and world champion biathlete Lowell Bailey draws on two decades of international competition to explore how athletics can serve as a powerful and often underestimated force for diplomacy, mutual understanding, and peace.
Bailey has raced alongside and against athletes from nations at odds with one another and navigated international governing bodies during periods of global tension. His journey offers a rare, ground-level perspective on what it means to build relationships across borders when official diplomacy cannot.
At VCWA's State of the World Summit, Bailey will challenge attendees to see sport not merely as entertainment, but as a model for how the world might yet come together, built on discipline, accountability, and the idea that a common set of rules can bind even adversaries.
Session 4:
The Diplomacy of Sport: What International Sport Teaches Us About Peace
Moderator:
Sarah Daluisio| Vice President & Community & Business Development at JPMorganChase
Speaker:
Lowell Bailey| Four-time Olympian and world champion biathlete
Meet the Speakers
Welcome Remarks
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Patrick is the VCWA Chair and currently serves as a Trustee of St. Michael's College, member of the State Board of Education, The Vermont New American Advisory Council, Age Well and the Greater Burlington Multicultural Resource Center. Read Patrick’s Full Bio
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Patricia Preston is the President and CEO of the Vermont Council on World Affairs (VCWA), where she leads the organization's work to advance international exchange, global education, and public engagement across Vermont. Since joining VCWA in 2015, she has overseen the organization's strategic growth, expanded partnerships across government, business, higher education, and nonprofit sectors, and strengthened its role as Vermont's leading organization dedicated to international affairs. Through public programs, leadership initiatives, and citizen diplomacy, VCWA connects Vermonters with global issues and international leaders from around the world.
Before returning to her home state of Vermont, Patricia gained experience in international development and public policy in the United States and abroad. Her work included teaching and developing curriculum in Tanzania, contributing to women's initiatives at the United Nations, supporting global food security efforts at the U.S. Department of State, and serving on the National Advance Staff for President Barack Obama's 2012 campaign. She also founded Las Mariposas, a nonprofit organization that provides nutrition and hygiene education to children in rural Guatemala.
Patricia serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Global Ties U.S., the national network for citizen diplomacy, and frequently speaks on the role of international engagement, public diplomacy, and global affairs in strengthening local communities.
State of the World Address
Major General Harder
Maj. Gen. Henry U. Harder, Jr. is the Adjutant General – Vermont National Guard. Maj. Gen Harder has 37 years of uniformed service. General Harder received his commission in 1989 as a distinguished graduate from the Academy of Military Science after graduating from the University of Vermont at which time he attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. He served within the 134th Fighter Squadron in multiple positions including Flying Training Instructor, Wing Plans Officer, Chief of Safety, Operations Plans Officer, Squadron Chief of Scheduling and Flight Commander. In 2008, he served as the 158th Operations Support Flight Commander until late 2009 when he was chosen to Command the 229th Information Operations Squadron located in Northfield, Vermont. In 2013, he became the Communications and Cyber Director at Joint Force Headquarters, Vermont with a follow on as the Director of Staff-Air until 2016 when he returned to the Wing as the Mission Support Group Commander and then Wing Vice Commander in June of 2017. From 2020 to 2025 he served as Assistant Adjutant General - Air. In 2024 he was dual-hatted as Deputy Adjutant General until his current assignment. See Major General Henry Harder Jr. full bio here.
Keynote Speakers
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J.J. Green is the national security correspondent at WTOP. He reports daily on international security, intelligence, foreign policy, terrorism, and cyber developments.
He’s the author of the new book The Noise War: How to Fight Disinformation and Find Truth When Everything is Lying to You. It’s a detailed field manual that shows how to identify, contain, and neutralize disinformation before it takes root. See J.J. Green’s full bio here.
“Disinformation is the new weapon of mass destruction. It’s invisible, silent, and instantaneous. It doesn’t work because we’re unfamiliar with it. It works because we’re human. It preys upon our frailties. I’m looking forward to joining the State of the World Summit to discuss my new book The Noise War and how to recognize disinformation, understand it, and fight back against it.”
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Lowell Bailey is a four-time Olympian, World Champion biathlete, and University of Vermont graduate. In 2017, he became the first American to win a Biathlon World Championship, capturing gold in the men's 20 km individual race. Following his competitive career, Bailey has continued to advance the sport through leadership and athlete development with U.S. Biathlon. See Lowell Bailey’s full bio here.
Panelist
From Maple Syrup to Microchips: How Global Economics and Geopolitics Shape Vermont
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Anson Tebbetts was appointed by Governor Phil Scott to be the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets in 2016.
Anson grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Cabot, where they raised Jersey cows, kept sheep, and operated a Vermont maple sugaring business. Alongside farming, Anson built a long and successful career in broadcasting, working in both radio and television. An award-winning reporter and storyteller, served as a newsroom manager, overseeing teams of reporters, editors, and photographers. In 2025, VermontBiz Magazine chose Anson as one of the inaugural 91 Influencers here in Vermont. This honor highlights their unwavering dedication, innovation, and impact in their field and within the community, as they also inspire and lead those around them. A devoted birder and nature enthusiast, Anson also hosts a weekly radio segment, For the Birds, on Radio Vermont.
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President of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce
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Mike Rainville is the owner of Maple Landmark, a Middlebury, Vermont woodworking business he started in 1979, while still in high school. Maple Landmark, a company 40 people, focuses on small wood products - toys, games, gifts and custom work – with national distribution. He remembers realizing the growing threat of global trade during a macro-economics lecture in college. Undaunted, he continued to develop his manufacturing business, with an eye toward local suppliers and short supply chains.
Thank you to our sponsors
Interested in sponsoring this event?
Email info@vcwa.orgfor more information
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Melissa Willard-Foster is an associate professor of political science at the University of Vermont specializing in international conflict and U.S. foreign policy. She is the author of Toppling Foreign Governments (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019), which examines the causes of foreign-imposed regime change and she is currently researching foreign policy campaign promises in U.S. presidential elections. Previously a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs, Willard-Foster holds degrees from Georgetown University, the University of Chicago, and UCLA. A recipient of the Kroepsch-Maurice Teaching Award, she teaches classes on international relations, international security, foreign military intervention, and U.S. foreign policy.
