PITTSBURGH, PA, UNITED STATES, September 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 33% of Americans identify domestic terrorism as the biggest threat. Against that backdrop, more than 1,600 survivors, students, researchers, policymakers and frontline professionals gathered in Pittsburgh and online Sept. 15–17 for the sixth annual Eradicate Hate Global Summit to address evolving threats and advance practical solutions.
“We know more than ever about preventing violence. What we need now are the resources to put that knowledge to work at scale,” said Brette Steele, president of Eradicate Hate. “Funding cuts have weakened organizations across the field just as the threats are becoming more complex. This Summit is about making sure that progress does not stall, that we bridge the gaps, and that prevention efforts endure.”
Eradicate Hate was founded by Pittsburgh leaders after the Tree of Life synagogue attack with the determination that the city be known for the strength of its response. Today, it connects people and organizations working around the world to prevent hate-fueled violence at the Global Summit and spark solutions that extend far beyond it – including through the Prevention Practitioners Network (PPN), which connects 2,400 professionals nationwide, and the Reach Out Resource Hub to help people find local support if they are concerned they or someone they know is at risk of committing an act of hate-fueled violence. Sustaining that progress, however, increasingly depends on private philanthropy and nonprofit organizations following federal funding cuts that eliminated all Eradicate Hate’s federal funding and deeply affected other organizations across the sector.
“Prevention isn’t a program, it’s a practice. It’s what we do every day,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise. “The goal isn’t to react better after a tragedy, it’s to stop tragedies from happening in the first place.”
Dr. Robert Pape, professor of political science at the University of Chicago, presented findings showing a significant minority of American adults support political violence, with support found across the political spectrum. Pape called support for political violence the “combustible material” that can push volatile individuals toward committing an attack, but said the vast majority of Americans reject political violence and are an untapped resource that must be mobilized.
Offering a potential path forward, Dr. Garen Wintemute of the University of California, Davis presented new research showing that even among the small minority who said they might commit political violence, most believed they could be persuaded not to act. “Most say you could talk them out of it,” Wintemute said. About one-third identified family members as potentially effective messengers, 30% named friends and 20% cited respected community leaders.
“We have to learn, and teach, to hate the action, but not the person,” said keynote speaker Dr. Alfred Garfinkle, a Holocaust survivor, physician, psychiatrist and trauma expert.
Other featured speakers included Brian Fishman of OpenAI; Van Jones, civil rights advocate, political commentator and founder of Dream Machine Innovation Lab; and Shari Redstone, founder of the Redstone Leadership Foundation, alongside survivors, practitioners, researchers and experts.
This week, Gonzaga University’s Center for the Study of Hate announced that Eradicate Hate received the 2026 Eva Lassman “Take Action Against Hate” Award. Eradicate Hate also presented its Bridge Builder Award to David Shapira, retired chairman and CEO of Giant Eagle.
The Global Summit followed the Eradicate Hate Student Summit on Sept. 14, which brought together 650+ students, educators and partners from 43 schools. Participating schools received $1,000 from the Grable Foundation and Benedum Foundation to support student-led prevention efforts. Eradicate Hate released a Student Summit Playbook to help other communities replicate the model.
For access to sessions, transcripts or other resources, contact press@eradicatehatesummit.org.
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Eradicate Hate is a nonpartisan nonprofit that believes that everyone has a role to play in preventing hate-fueled violence. Rooted in the aftermath of the deadliest antisemitic attack in the United States, Eradicate Hate forges practical solutions to prevent all forms of hate-fueled violence. Through the annual Eradicate Hate Global Summit, (PPN), UP End Hate, issue-specific working groups, and resources like the Reach Out Resource Hub, Eradicate Hate builds safer, more resilient communities for all. Learn more at eradicatehate.org.
Natalie Pavlatos
Vision360 Partners
press@eradicatehatesummit.org
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