The Event
The Great Disruption:
AI and Global Insecurity in the
21st Century
2026 Global Peace Forum
November 19, 2026
Norway House
913 E Franklin Ave Minneapolis, MN 55404
Keynote Speaker:
Thomas Friedman
Foreign Affairs Columnist for The New York Times
Thomas Friedman is the bestselling author of The World is Flat and New York Times foreign affairs columnist. He is renowned for his direct reporting and accessible analysis of complex issues shaping the world. According to Foreign Policy magazine, “Friedman doesn’t just report on events; he helps shape them.” The winner of three Pulitzer Prizes, he has covered monumental stories from around the globe for The New York Times since 1981. With clear and compelling language, Friedman discusses the opportunities and challenges that “accelerations,” including technology and connectivity, present. He also explores solutions — on a local and global level — to ensure the future of work, skills, income, and prosperity.
He has written seven books since 1989 that have sold 10 million copies in 40 different languages. They include From Beirut to Jerusalem, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, The World is Flat and, most recently, his latest bestseller, Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations, in which Friedman offers a blueprint for overcoming the stresses and challenges of a world being transformed by technology, globalization, and climate change.
Friedman was featured in Showtime’s climate change documentary series Years of Living Dangerously, executive produced by James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Conference Schedule
November 19, 2026
Venue: Norway House
| 8:00 – 8:15 | WELCOME Paul Jackson, Christina Carleton, Janet Dolan |
| 8:15 – 9:30 | KEYNOTE SPEAKER Introduction and remarks – Thomas Friedman, NY Times |
| 9:30 – 10:00 | Potential Disruptive Impacts of AI on the Global Economy Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis – Senior Leadership Official |
| 10:00 – 10:30 | Coffee Break |
| 10:30 – 12:00 | GLOBAL NORTH Mark Bell, U of MN, Dept. of Political Relations Haakon Gjerlow, Acting Director, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) Ren Bin Lee Dixon, Policy Group Associate at the Center for AI and Digital Policy |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Lunch |
| 12:30 – 2:00 | GLOBAL SOUTH Amaka Anku, Eurasian Group, AFRICA Expert Noam Lupu, Gertrude Conway Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Global Democracy, Vanderbilt University Ren Bin Lee Dixon, Policy Group Associate at the Center for AI and Digital Policy |
| 2:00 – 2:30 | Coffee Break |
| 2:30 – 4:15 | YOUTH PANEL John Della Volpe, Director of Polling, Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, Founder of Social Sphere, Cambridge, MA |
| 4:15 – 4:30 | Closing Remarks TBD |