In the wake of the Tree of Life shooting in 2018, communities in Pittsburgh began looking for ways to heal from and combat hate-based violence. That search led community leaders in Pittsburgh to form a global conference that aims to “eradicate hate” through education and action. “Eradicating hate, when you say it initially, sounds like something that is impossible to do. We’ve had hate as long as we’ve had human beings,” said Chuck Moellenberg, president of the Eradicate Hate Global Summit. “So the question is, ‘What can I do that will really make a difference?’” Now in its third year, the Eradicate Hate Global Summit continues to bring together professionals and leaders from different fields to lead conversations grounded in ending hate-fueled violence worldwide. This year the summit will run from Sept. 27-29 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and includes a roster of over 300 academics, global leaders, law enforcement officials and more. “The purpose of the summit is to provide a forum for leading experts around the world and for many different professions and sectors to come together, exchange ideas and then develop and deploy effective solutions to reduce hate-motivated violence,” said Moellenberg. Meryl Ainsman, the secretary of the summit, said to confront hate-based violence, the summit aims to educate and inform attendants about hate in its many forms. This year’s summit will feature discussions on violence against the LGBTQ+ community, identifying red flag behaviors among youths and video game violence.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource