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
8:00 AM — Doors Open, Coffee & Networking
8:30 AM — Welcome Remarks
8:40 AM —State of the World Address by Major General Harder
9:00 AM — Fireside Chat with J.J. Green - National News 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 Break
12:00 PM — Lunch is served
12:20 PM — Keynote Conversation with Lowell Bailey - 4 Time Olympian and Gold Metalist
1:30–2:30 PM — Dessert Reception, Coffee & Community Conversation
General Details
Wednesday, September 23rd
8:00 am - 2:30 pm | Hula Lakeside
Tickets:
Full-day: $75
Early bird – Closed July 15th
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.
*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
In an era of growing division and misinformation, civil discourse is a vital tool for preventing and resolving conflict. This session will explore how open, respectful dialogue can bridge cultural and ideological divides, build trust, and foster lasting peace. It will also examine the role of media in shaping public perception, the impact of misinformation on polarization, and strategies individuals and organizations can use to promote fact-based, constructive conversations.
Session 1:
State of the World Address
Speaker:
Major General Harder | Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard
Session 2:
Fireside Chat
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.
J.J. Green | National Security Correspondent at WTOP News
Speaker:
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.
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:
Keynote Conversation
Lowell Bailey| Four-time Olympian and world champion biathlete
Meet the Speakers
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
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.”
J.J. Green
Lowell Bailey
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.
Thank you to our sponsors
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