PeaceJam

The PeaceJam Foundation
Founded 1996[1]
Type Foundation (United States law)
(IRS exemption status): 501(c)(3)[2]
Focus Water, Equal Rights, Disease, Poverty, Human Rights, The Environment, Weapons, Ending Violence
Location
Area served
 Global
Method Educating Youth and Activism
Key people
 Dawn Engle, co-founder and executive director
Ivan Suvanjieff, co-founder and president
Website http://www.peacejam.org

The PeaceJam Foundation is an international organization whose missions statement is "to create young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities, and the world through the inspiration of Nobel Peace Laureates who pass on the spirit, skills, and wisdom they embody."[3] The PeaceJam program was launched in February 1996 by co-founders Dawn Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff to provide the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates with a programmatic vehicle to use in working together to teach youth the art of peace.

To date, 13 Nobel Peace Laureates, including the 14th Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, President Oscar Arias, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Betty Williams, José Ramos-Horta, Aung San Suu Kyi, Sir Joseph Rotblat (Emeritus), Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, and Leymah Gbowee, serve as members of the PeaceJam Foundation. On September 15, 2006, 10 of the Nobel Laureates launched the PeaceJam Foundation's Global Call to Action with the youth of the world as a part of PeaceJam's 10th Anniversary Celebration.

The PeaceJam Foundation was a nominee for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize.[4]

History

The story of PeaceJam began in the summer of 1993 when Ivan Suvanjiff had a discussion with four neighbors who were carrying guns. Suvanjieff found out that these youth were inspired by the Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu, and had an idea to bring Nobel Peace Prize Laureates to youth in the Denver area. Dawn Gifford Engle, a colleague of Suvanjieff's, had contacts with the Dalai Lama. They began creating a business plan to present to the Dalai Llama. They flew to India and presented their idea to the Dalai Lama, who agreed to help them. Engle and Suvanjieff's idea became PeaceJam.

Officially founded in 1996, PeaceJam has had more than 600,000 young people participate in the United States and in countries around the world. PeaceJammers have created almost one million service projects designed to address problems in their own schools and communities.[5]

Global Call to Action

In September 2006, 10 leading Nobel Peace Laureates and more than 3,000 young people traveled from all over the world to Denver, Colorado, to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the PeaceJam Foundation. The 14th Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, President Oscar Arias, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Mairead Maguire, Betty Williams, José Ramos-Horta, Jody Williams, and Shirin Ebadi came together in the largest gathering of Nobel Peace Laureates ever held in U.S. history. They launched a 10-year Global Call to Action campaign, designed to tackle what they perceive as the 10 greatest challenges to the survival and well-being of our planet today.[6]

The 10 Global Call to Action issues are:[7]

Education

Each of PeaceJam's award-winning programs includes activities that enhance the academic, civic, and social-emotional skills of youth, fostering the essential leadership skills and character traits necessary to create positive change in the world and addressing issues such as bullying, racism & hate, poverty, and apathy.

Each Curriculum Guide is aligned to educational standards and engages students in a high quality service-learning process aligned with PeaceJam's One Billion Acts of Peace - designed to build 21st century skills, anti-bullying, global citizenship, and community engagement.

Peacejam Juniors serves ages 5-11, Peacejam leaders serves ages 11-14, PeaceJam Ambassadors serves ages 14-18, PeaceJam Scholars serves university aged youth. and the Peacejam Juvenile Justice program serves at risk youth at all ages.

[8]

Awards

References

  1. ↑ Engle, Dawn (2008). PeaceJam: A Billion Simple Acts of Peace. United States: Puffin Books.
  2. ↑ FoundationCenter.org The PeaceJam Foundation, accessed 2011-07-07
  3. ↑ "Learn About PeaceJam". PeaceJam Foundation.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Electa, Draper. "PeaceJam nominated for Nobel Prize". Denver Post. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  5. ↑ Engle, Dawn (2008). PeaceJam: A Billion Simple Acts of Peace. United States: Puffin Books. pp. 7–8.
  6. ↑ Brown, Jennifer (2006-09-15). "10 Nobel Prize winners gather for PeaceJam". Denver Post. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
  7. ↑ "The Global Call to Action Issues". Florida State University.
  8. ↑ https://www.peacejam.org/education/Peacejam-Programs.aspx
  9. ↑ "Every Day Heroes- Dawn Engle, Co-Founder of Peace Jam". VividLife. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  10. ↑ "Countdown for 2010 Nobel Peace Prize!". The PeaceJam Foundation. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  11. ↑ "RMR PeaceJam at Denver Martin Luther King Jr. Marade".
  12. ↑ "50 of JeffCo's 150 Most Contributing Citizens" (PDF). Celebrate the Colorful History of JeffCo.
  13. ↑ "Women of Distinction: Girl Scouts announces 2008 Denver Women of Distinction honorees". Girl Scouts ofhe USA. Retrieved 7 July 2011. [Dead link]
  14. ↑ "Announcing the Seventh Annual Harris Wofford Awards". 2008 harris wofford awards. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  15. ↑ "CONCERNING THE PEACEJAM FOUNDATION, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, HONORING 1980 NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE ADOLFO PEREZ ESQUIVEL FOR HIS WORK WITH YOUTH AND HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD GLOBAL PEACE." (PDF). SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 08-013. Retrieved 7 July 2011.

External links