Peace Fest Symposium

Peace Fest Symposium (11 AM – 1 PM)

A panel of diverse community speakers including the Mayor and Police Chief will speak on “How can we achieve Individual and Global Peace?.”  Q & A by the audience will follow the speaker’s presentations.

A rough outline of the Symposium program on the day of the Peace Fest:

Note: Please join at or before 10:30 AM to enjoy the cultural celebration before the symposium.  There may be minor changes to the details but the outline will remain same.

Symposium Panel of Speakers :

Donna Schmitt, Mayor – City of Columbia Heights

Donna Schmitt is the Mayor of the City of Columbia Heights, Minnesota. In 2010, she was elected to the Columbia Heights City Council and then in 2016, she was elected as mayor. Her desire is that each council member should consider themselves servant leaders, leaders that are here to serve the city, not themselves.  Columbia Heights is blessed with many people passionate about their faith and willing to
discuss their faith openly with others. Donna has been honored to have hosted the Columbia Heights Interfaith Prayer Breakfast twice since becoming mayor. Each time, various faith communities have provided prayers, readings, music, and support.

She has also been a presenter at the Muslim/Christian Dialogue held at the Islamic Center of Minnesota, located in Fridley. On June 6, 2018, she was one of the speakers for the dedication of the City of Peace Neighborhood Center.

Lenny Austin, Chief Of Police – Columbia Heights Police Department

Lenny Austin has served as Chief of Police for the City of Columbia Heights since November 2017.

Chief Austin has been in law enforcement for 29 years, 23 of which has been with the Columbia Heights Police Department.   The Columbia Heights Police Department has been recognized for its Community Policing initiatives to include the 2012 IACP Community Policing Award, 2015 IACP Community Policing Award Finalist, the Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) L. Anthony Sutin Award for Community Engagement, and played a significant role in the city receiving the 2016 All American City Award.  Chief Austin has served in several roles with the Columbia Heights Police Department, to include Captain, Sergeant, Corporal, Firearms/Use of Force Instructor, and Field Training Officer.

Chief Austin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management and Communication from Concordia University, St. Paul, and a Master’s Degree in Police Leadership from the University of St. Thomas.

Dr. Shashikant Sane, M.D. –  Hindu Society & Community Center

Shashikant M. Sane, M.D. Fellow of the Academy of Pediatrics, Founding Physicians at the Minneapolis Children’s Hospital in 1972. He was the first Pediatric Radiologist in the region and served as the Chairman & Medical Director of Radiology for 25 years.  He also served as the Chairman & Medical Director of Radiology at The Gillette Children’s Specialty Care in St. Paul till his retirement late in 2007.  He has published 47 original scientific papers in the peer-reviewed journals.  He has been a Visiting Professor and addressed named lectureships several times around the world.  Dr. Sane is a Board Certified Radiologist with Special Qualifications in Pediatric Radiology granted by The American Board of Radiology.  He was awarded an Outstanding Teacher’s Award by the Academy of Pediatrics. He has been a founding member & President of the Society of Chairs of Radiology of the Children’s Hospitals in North America.

He and his wife Kumud have been two of the 6 founders of the first Hindu Temple in Minnesota in 1978.  He leads Hindu Temple Construction Committee in charge of the creation of the new magnificent temple in Maple Grove.   Dr. Sane is a formally trained Hindu Priest and has been conducting with the help of his wife regular Annual Hindu Youth Camps for the past 35 years. He has been teaching Hindu Scriptures in the U.S.A. for over 50 years and also speaks on Yoga, Meditation, and Universal Spirituality at several college campuses and the universities around the country.   He has been actively involved in the interfaith dialogs locally and nationally over the past thirty-five years.  He conducts weekly discourses on Gita and other Hindu Scriptures at the Temple every Sunday.  Presently he is the President of Hindu Community Center of Minnesota and also of the Hindu American Temple School where children are educated in Eternal Life Style of Ethical Living called Hinduism. They also learn one of the seven Indian Languages and participate in Interfaith dialogues helping them grow up as enlightened American Citizen blessed with rich Hindu Culture and Heritage.

Shri Ram Gada – Minnesota Historical Society & Founder of Jain Center in Minnesota

Educated as an Electrical &Mechanical Engineering, Shri Gada has nurtured and fostered several communities from their inception and now playing as a mentor and trusted lifetime advisor role in almost all of the foundational communities. Following are just a sample of his commitment to the India/Asian/Jain communities.

Founding member and president of “Gujarati Samaj” 1976-77.  The founder of “Jain Center of Minnesota”(JCM)@ and served as its President. (1989-1992) and (2009-2010).  Serves as a Director to JAINA since JCM inception.  Jain Pathshala teacher and speaker at JCM Satsang(Monthly) meetings.  Serves as Region 4 Director to Kachhi Oshwal Jain Association in North America (KOJAIN) Since 2001 to 2011.  Serving as an Honorary Advisor to the IAM Board-2018.  Played an active role in raising $275,000 for Gujarat Earthquake fund in 2001 and rebuilding an entire village, Vijaypar, in Kutch, India. And donating Medical Mobile Van to Bhojay Sarvodaya Hospital to treat Women health issues at Bhojay, Kutch.   Served as language and history teacher (volunteer) for several years at the School of India for Languages and Culture (SILC) since its inception in 1977. Active role in fundraising during SILC 10,20 and 30 Year Celebrations.   Serves as Lifetime Trustee in Hindu Society of Minnesota.  Sponsored Jain Temple in 2007.  Speaker on Jainism at a monthly Temple and Interfaith meetings. One of the founding members of “Oral History Projects” with Minnesota Historical Society, sponsored by India Association Of Minnesota (IAM).

Ravi Kohli – Science of Spirituality Amityville, New York

Ravi Kohli is an international speaker, a successful businessman, a spiritual seeker and a dedicated volunteer under the guidance of Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj. He regularly conducts meditation talks and sessions at the Science of Spirituality meditation centers in the New York area

Sr. Pastor Jin S. Kim – Church of All Nations

Mustafa B. Igdelioglu – Turkish American Society of Minnesota

Since 1999 Mr. Igdelioglu has been actively involved with non-profit and non-governmental organizations with a particular interest in trying to find solutions to Social, Political, Economic and Environmental Issues that affects all human beings. He served as the President of the Philadelphia Dialogue Forum located in Philadelphia, PA. The organization focuses on establishing relationships between diverse groups in the community. He is currently serving as the President of Turkish American Society of Minnesota which is a non-profit organization established in 2009 in the Twin Cities area to foster fellowship and to create a positive social environment in which to built and strengthen an intercultural community.  He also has been active as a professional mentor of Engineers without Borders around the world, whose mission, is to help create more stable and prosperous world by addressing people’s basic human needs.

He is a Senior Structural Engineer/ Project Manager works at Barr Engineering Co. Until moving to the Twin Cities area, he was teaching structural engineering classes at the Fairleigh Dickinson University as an adjunct faculty. He is married and father of two daughters and a son.

Rachel James – Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministry – First Lutheran Church

Rachel James is the Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministries at First Lutheran Columbia Heights, where she specializes in connecting faith to everyday life for urban youth. You can often find her walking in Silverwood Park, listening for the great horned owls with her husband Leo and her two lovely daughters.

Education: B.S. in Business Administration and Urban Studies from North Central University in Minneapolis; Master’s of Community Ministry Leadership at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul.

Rachel has worked in youth ministry for the last 15 years and loves to use her skills to make the organization more effective. She’s been a Children’s Pastor at a multi-cultural international church, a program director at an ecumenical high school leadership non-profit and worked for the Center for First Third Ministries at Luther Seminary.  Rachel has experience in training youth and ministry teams in the Twin Cities and nationally, as well as writing curriculum and consulting non-profits and ministries.

Ivan Posada (Colombian – Spanish) – Science of Spirituality Chicago

Educated as an Electric Engineer, Ivan worked with the Colombian government for 32 years.   He worked as an engineer for 13 years, then moved to the marketing of energy for 4 years, and lastly to international business for 15 years.

Ivan was initiated into the inner path by a great Spiritual Master Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj.  He has been practicing meditation for 44 years, working in the coordination of spiritual groups dedicated to the meditation at the local city and national level in Colombia and involved in the production in Spanish of the spiritual books of spiritual Masters, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj and Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj.

Ivan has traveled around Colombia and South American giving talks and workshops about the spiritual path and meditation.  He is currently living in Chicago as a dedicated volunteer at the National Science of Spirituality Western Headquarters at Lisle, IL.