Our September 10th Symposium opens with welcome remarks by Mary Fetchet, VOICES Executive Director, and Frank Fetchet, VOICES Chief Operating Officer. This year's annual Candle Lighting Ceremony, honoring the lives lost and the enduring strength of the 9/11 Community, will be led by 9/11 Family Members Jeanmarie Hargrave and Thomas Kerns who will recite dedications. They will be assisted by candle lighters Mark O'Grady and Karen Felzer, members of the 9/11 Community.

Increasingly the lines are being blurred between criminality and terrorism. Mass violence, cyber- attacks, on-line radicalization, drone attacks, and AI all pose a threat to our communities regardless of the ideology or identity of the attacker. This panel will consider recent examples of violent extremism and the blending of criminal tactics, strategies and ideologies that may require a new approach to the allocation and availability of resources for crime prevention, counterterrorism, and threat intervention, mitigation and response.

This panel will explore the significance of milestone anniversaries of major tragedies, with a focus on the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings and next year’s 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Panelists will reflect on how these events shaped national and global responses to terrorism, the evolving needs of survivors and families, and the role of remembrance in healing and resilience.

This year's panel examines the impact of Claude, Chat GPT, combined with heavy downsizing of staff--particularly digital news staffs. How can it be a positive development? What are the risks to storytelling? Garbage in -- garbage out remains the formula for querying binary computing driven algorithms: so who in the newsroom makes sure the right questions are asked? When?

The session will examine the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on policing and security, exploring the opportunities it presents and the complex challenges and threats it introduces. Speakers will provide insights into the growing need for collaboration among law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and the private sector to harness AI responsibly while preventing its misuse by criminal or terrorist actors. The discussion will be grounded in a foundational framework that emphasizes human rights, ethics, lawfulness, transparency, and accountability.

This session brings together senior experts from law enforcement, intelligence, private industry, and victim support to explore comprehensive strategies for preparing and responding to large-scale events. Panelists will share insights and lessons learned from past events, focusing on the importance of integrated planning, intelligence-led risk management, public-private partnerships, and a victim-centered approach that ensures community safety, operational resilience, and human dignity before, during, and after major events.

This session will examine the dynamic and complex threat environment facing Five Eyes nations today, with an eye toward novel ways that counterterrorism practitioners across domains are navigating it.