From War to Peace
In this workshop Paul Ogren, a lifelong social activist, will speak on the dangers of the American Military. He will emphasize the environmental and humanitarian issues that ensue. Plus Ogren will describe the life of materials used by his company, From War to Peace. The material is birthed in the Montana mountains, used as the most violent weapons, and ends up as crafted art to promote non-violence, American labor, and environmental consciousness. Created in 2010 and based in San Luis Obispo, the company sells jewelry and works of art made from copper recycled from US nuclear weapons systems. Twenty percent of the profits are donated to peace and social justice organizations.
“Turning weapons meant to destroy us into art meant to restore us, swords into plowshares, bombs into beauty, hate into love, and war into peace,” states a quote on the company website.
Ogren is a healthcare entrepreneur and former Minnesota state legislator. While in office he formed MinnesotaCare, a state healthcare act providing subsidized health insurance to poor working class families.
