AS WE witness and are impacted by the many forms of violence devastating the world, The King Center, with Dr. Bernice A. King as its CEO, is convinced that “our vision, and corresponding work, are increasingly critical.”
The King Center vision is “the Beloved Community, where injustice ceases and love prevails”, drawing on the work of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Center’s work includes inspiring and educating global citizens on how to employ the principles and strategies of Kingian Nonviolence to shift the cultural climate.
The 2024 Beloved Community Global Summit, happening virtually on Wednesday 10th January and Thursday 11th January as a part of this year’s King Holiday MLK Day Observance, reflects the Beloved Community vision and launches the Center’s work for the calendar year.
The Summit, which is streaming on The King Center’s social media platforms (including YouTube) as well as on its website, is challenging those who join across the globe to think higher, love deeper, and commit to the multi-faceted work of creating the Beloved Community. This year, the challenge will be lifted in conjunction with exploring the 2024 King Holiday Observance theme, It Starts with Me: Shifting the Cultural Climate Through the Study and Practice of Kingian Nonviolence.
Summit experiences include panel discussions, interviews, 10–15-minute Summit talks, and innovative video presentations, all focused on examining and arriving at solutions about how we can shift the cultural climate in various areas of society. Guest influencers, artists, civic leaders, activists, and concerned global community members will discuss and share action steps for shifting individually and internally, collectively civically, relationally and restoratively.
The presentations and discussions can be watched online afterwards, if you are not able to join at the time the event happens.
From Ekklesia’s point of view, there is a strong correlation between the thinking behind the creation of a Beloved Community and the ideas behind our own name — which is about exiting Empire (in all its forms) and creating a space within the public sphere for alternative views, perspectives and practices.