This weekend, Denver will give peace a chance. The city will host the largest gathering ever of Nobel Peace Prize winners in the U.S., heroes who will meet with 3,000 teenagers from across the world at a conference marking the 10th anniversary of PeaceJam, an Arvada-based organization.
PeaceJam runs education programs designed to teach young people conflict resolution and peace-making through projects and classes in their own communities.
The peace laureates are scheduled to deliver a “global call to action” during the meeting at the University of Denver and kick off a 10-year program of peace-making efforts.
Highlights of the event include a meeting Saturday of 12 Nobel laureates with young people attending the conference, and a Sunday public event with six women who’ve won the Peace prize. (For information, go to www.peacejam.org.)
In a time of wars and hostility, cynics might dismiss the event as impractical idealism, but the teenagers’ commitment to the cause is reason enough to hope. The Nobel laureates are people whose courageous actions have already achieved concrete results. Who’s to say they can’t do it again?
Oscar Arias of Costa Rica won in 1987 for peace efforts in Central America.
The Dalai Lama, exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, was the 1989 winner.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the award in 1984 for working to peacefully end apartheid in South Africa.
Máiread Corrigan Maguire and Betty Williams won in 1976 for promoting resolution of the conflict in Northern Ireland.
Adolfo Perez Esquivel of Argentina was honored in 1980 for promoting human rights in Latin America.
Aung San Suu Kyim won in 1991 for leading the nonviolent democratic opposition in Myanmar. (As she’s under house arrest, she will address the conference by video.)
Wangari Muta Maathai of Kenya was the 2004 laureate for her reforestation work.
Jody Williams of Fredericksburg, Va., won in 1997 for her work against land mines.
Shirin Ebadi of Iran was honored in 2003 for human-rights advocacy.
Jose Ramos-Horta won in 1996 for working to end the conflict in East Timor.
Rigoberta Menchu Tum received the award in 1992 for her efforts on behalf of indigenous peoples in Guatemala.
One can’t think of better examples for young people struggling to grow up in a world of conflict.
