Frequently Asked Questions-----------------------------62028116
Who can participate?
PeaceJam offers programming for youth of all ages. There are four separate age-specific programs: PeaceJam Juniors (elementary), PeaceJam Leaders (middle school), PeaceJam Ambassadors (high school), and PeaceJam Scholars (college). The PeaceJam Juvenile Justice program serves incarcerated and youth recently released from the juvenile justice system. PeaceJam programs are standard- based and work either integrated into the classroom or as an after-school or community-based club.
Who founded PeaceJam?
The PeaceJam program was launched in February, 1996, by co-founders Dawn Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff. Suvanjieff conceived of the idea for PeaceJam in the summer of 1994. Suvanjieff was talking with some gang members from his neighborhood in North Denver when he discovered that these gun-toting youth not only knew who Archbishop Desmond Tutu was, they appreciated his nonviolent efforts toward social change. An artist, Suvanjieff merely connected the dots between these disaffected youth and the notion of putting them together with Nobel Peace Laureates as new role models for positive change. His colleague, Dawn Engle, had met the Dalai Lama during her years of work for the U.S. Congress, where she lobbied on behalf of the Tibetan cause. Engle and Suvanjieff then were granted an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who liked the idea.
The Dalai Lama suggested that the duo bring in other Nobel Peace Laureates on this youth-oriented project. Engle and Suvanjieff discovered that a vast majority of the Nobel Peace Laureates were interested in the idea of peace education for youth, but as they were tied-up with the huge amount of work surrounding each of their own efforts or causes, they had not had the time to act fully on this concept themselves. PeaceJam ultimately provided the Nobel Peace Laureates with a programmatic vehicle to use in working together to teach youth the art of peace.
To date, 12 Nobel Peace Laureates, including the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, President Oscar Arias, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Máiread Corrigan Maguire, Betty Williams, Prime Minister José Ramos Horta, Aung San Suu Kyi, Sir Joseph Rotblat (Emeritus), Jody Williams and Shirin Ebadi serve as Members of the PeaceJam Foundation.
NOTE: PeaceJam is the only foundation in the world to have such a large number of Nobel Peace Laureates working together in such a close and continuous way.
Who funds Great Lakes PeaceJam?
Does PeaceJam have political or religious affiliation?
No. The Nobel Peace Laureates who work with PeaceJam are from different countries, have differing spiritual views, as well as differing political views. They all, however, do agree that it is necessary to teach peace, conflict resolution, and tolerance, to youth around the world, and that PeaceJam is an excellent vehicle to deliver these lessons.
What is the Global Call to Action?
Ten leading Nobel Peace Laureates (The Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, President Oscar Arias, Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Prime Minister José-Ramos Horta, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Máiread Corrigan Maguire, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, and Betty Williams) launched the PeaceJam Foundations Global Call to Action with the youth of the world on September 15th, 2006 as a part of PeaceJam's 10th Anniversary Celebration. This is a decade-long, worldwide campaign, and we invite all of the people of the world to join this global effort. For more information on the Global Call to Action (GCA) or to find out how you can submit your group's work as an official GCA project, please check out the PeaceJam Global Call to Action website.
How is Great Lakes PeaceJam affiliated with the PeaceJam Foundation?
PeaceJam Foundation operates on an affiliate system to deliver programs to youth around the world. PeaceJam partners with like-minded non-profit organizations and/or universities to run the PeaceJam program in their region. Great Lakes PeaceJam is one of nine U.S. affiliates.
What is Seeding Change?
Seeding Change is a newly formed nonprofit created to govern the Great Lakes PeaceJam program. Its Board of Directors is made up of compassionate and devoted community leaders, eager to work towards a better future for Kalamazoo, the Great Lakes region and the world. Some board members have been or are currently members of the Great Lakes PeaceJam Task Force. The Task Force remains active, steering the programmatic work of Great Lakes PeaceJam.
The mission of Seeding Change is to develop life-long civically-active, and globally-aware leaders of peace and justice.