About Us
What We Do
We are building a family of peace programs that reaches a global community.
Minnesota Peace Initiative (MPI), powered by Norway House, has for 20 years provided a local forum for discussions of important peace topics of the day.
We are now launching our second program, Global Peace Forum (GPF) to expand our global reach. It’s planned to be a 1½ day event incorporating keynote speakers and panels comprised of global leaders, policy makers, and community leaders to discuss and debate timely issues of peace and global security.
The title of our first Conference is “The Great Disruption: AI and Global Insecurity in the 21st Century” It will be held on November 19th. Thomas Friedman has been secured as our keynote speaker. Four additional panels will be included in the program as well.
We will partner with Norwegian peace organizations to co-sponsor and host annual GPF programs between our two countries.
Vision
Global Peace Forum aspires to cultivate a global network of organizations and individuals dedicated to understanding the evolving dynamics of world power and their impact on humanity.
Mission
Provide an international forum that fosters exploration, dialogue, and engagement on the critical issues shaping the emerging geopolitical landscape.
Values
- Peace
- Freedom
- Democracy
- Justice
- Tolerance
Guiding Principles
- Respectful Dialogue
- Peaceful Co-existence
- Freedom of Speech
- Democratic Process
- Citizen Diplomacy
Our Pillars of Action
Annual Peace Forums
Uniting thought leaders, policymakers, and peace advocates to foster dialogue, share strategies, & inspire action.
Community Engagement
Empowering individuals and communities through mediation, conflict resolution, and grassroots peace-building activities.
Art & Interactive Learning
Harnessing the power of art, performance, and education to inspire cultural understanding and cultivate empathy across borders.
Endorsing Global Peace Stewards
Establishing a shared commitment to uphold the foundational principles of peace, democracy, & human rights.
Our Team
Janet M. Dolan
President, Act III. Enterprises
Founder, Minnesota Peace Initiative & Global Peace Forum
Janet Dolan is the past President and Chief Executive Officer of Tennant Company. She retired from Tennant in December, 2005. After 10 years as a trial lawyer and 20 years in Corporate America, Janet has moved on to what she calls “Act III.” in life. This is the time in life when you get to do what you want to do, rather than what you have to do. In Janet’s Act III, she has served on corporate and nonprofit Boards of Directors, and works with organizations focused on peace and the development of emerging democracies, including establishing the Minnesota Peace Initiative and the Global Peace Forum.
Paul Jackson
Past Chief Media Officer, Marketing Architects
President, Global Peace Forum
Paul Jackson began his career at KDUZ Radio in Hutchinson, Minnesota, as a sales executive and on-air broadcaster before becoming a founding leader of Marketing Architects, where he served 25 years as Chief Media Officer. He now serves on the boards of Project for Pride in Living — where he is Vice Chair of Philanthropy and External Affairs — and Norway House. In September 2025, he became Committee Chair of Global Peace Forum, focused on cultivating a global network dedicated to understanding evolving world power dynamics and their impact on humanity.
Britt deLange Ardakani
Director of Business and Peace Programs
Britt holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Minnesota Duluth and brings extensive experience as a developer, project leader, and business professional.
In 2011, she joined the Norwegian Honorary Consulate General as Vice Consul, focusing on business development. During her tenure, she served in multiple leadership roles with the Minnesota Consular Corps. She also served on the Board of the Norwegian American Chamber of Commerce – North Chapter since 2014.
Britt joined Norway House in 2020 as Director of Business. In 2026 she took on the Peace Programs at Norway House. She has built strong relationships with the Norwegian government, the State of Minnesota, and elected officials.
Rebecca Jorgenson Sundquist
Chief Development Officer, Norway House
Rebecca Jorgenson Sundquist, President of Rebecca Sundquist Fundraising, has been raising funds in the upper Midwest and nationally for over thirty years. Ms. Sundquist has conducted capital campaigns, endowment campaigns, debt reduction strategies, feasibility studies, major gifts training and coaching, and board development for a wide range of clients including churches of all denominations, faith based colleges and non-profits. Ms. Sundquist has been the Chief Development Officer for Norway House since 2004 when the organization was founded, spearheading multiple capital campaigns for the completion of the Norway House campus. Prior employment includes serving as a major gift officer for Lutheran Social Service of MN and as Director of Stewardship, Development & Marketing for Central Lutheran Church, downtown Minneapolis.
Thomas Hanson
Senior Advisor, Global Peace Forum
Thomas Hanson is a former U.S. Foreign Service Officer whose diplomatic postings included East Germany, France, Norway, the Soviet Union, Sweden, and Georgia. He has worked on the Foreign Relations Committees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and served as Director for NATO and European Affairs at the Atlantic Council of the United States.
Mr. Hanson currently is a Diplomat in Residence at the University of Minnesota and teaches diplomacy at Carleton College. He serves as Chair of the Minnesota Committee on Foreign Relations and as an advisor to the Global Peace Forum at Norway House.
Jim Erickson
Founder and President, Solomon Strategies Group
Secretary Treasurer, Global Peace Forum
Jim Erickson has been called the “Dean of the Minnesota Lobbyists”. He has worked at the Capitol in St. Paul since 1969, first as the lead Senate Minority Caucus staffer, next in the Governor Wendell Anderson’s successful 1970 campaign, and then in Attorney General Warren Spannaus’s office until 1972. He ran for a Minneapolis State Senate seat in 1972, and, fortunately, lost.
He joined the Larkin, Hoffman, Daly and Lindgren law firm, and began his lawyer/lobbyist career in 1973. Jim established the first Governmental Relations specialty department in a major law firm, helping grow Larkin, Hoffman from 8 to 80 attorneys during his 25 years there. He was President of the firm for 5 years, before leaving to found Solomon Strategies Group in 1998.