Gathering together to share our poetry at the start of the convention is a longstanding VFP tradition. This year we are in for a treat with Vietnam veteran poet Strong Buffalo joining us in person to enliven the space with his words, and Vietnamese American poet Teresa Mei Chuc introducing works, including her own, from the recently published anthology, Convergence: Poetry on Environmental Impacts of War, which she co-edited. VFP cofounder and first poet laureate Doug Rawlings will be joining us onscreen to read a few of his wonderful poems, and to introduce Teresa. As always, there will be time for others to read, both in person and virtually. (Sign up ahead of time and let us know if you will be reading in person or virtually, by emailing editor@veteransforpeace.org.)

Box Lunch

Joy Metzler (Moderator) Zahed Rahman and Zeeyad Kadur

The genocide in Gaza has garnered international attention and outrage, but in the West Bank, Palestine, a slower, quieter form of genocide has taken hold. Hear from two panelists - one who has been to Gaza during the genocide as a nurse, and one whose family is from the West Bank and continues to be targeted by Israel - about the accelerated massacres in Gaza and the deadly apartheid in the West Bank. The story of Palestine is one of colonialism, settler violence, and displacement, but it is also a story of resilience, community, and an international movement for liberation, all centered in on a land called Palestine.

The three panelists will engage in a conversation on theme/s related to racial capitalism (especially in relation to war and peace), people's movements/organizing, and international solidarity, in line with the 2026 convention theme. Margaret Stevens will serve as moderator as well as a participant in the conversation.

"In 2023, the project began as a simple, auto-generated slideshow on Monear’s phone, created after a visit to his family in Gaza. As life there became increasingly unbearable and his family faced unimaginable loss, that collection of images and videos grew into an urgent act of preservation.

From these fragments emerged a deeply personal documentary—one that traces family memory, everyday moments, and grief—offering audiences a way to see Gaza not as an abstract conflict, but as a home: full of relationships, history, laughter, and love, even amidst the struggle."