By Charles Weiss, Mater Dei Prep School, New Jersey, USA
“We need peace, and we cannot just keep on saying it. We need to
take action. We need to get children involved.”
– Karen Nortz, a freshman at Mater Dei Prep,
On Thursday, February 16, 2017, ten members from the Mater Dei Prep School (http://MaterDeiPrep.org) Emerging Global Leaders Program attended the DPI/NGO Education for Global Citizenship Conference and the International Day of Peace Planning Conference at the United Nations. Peace ambassadors from all over the world met at these prestigious conferences to create a more sustainable planet through effective leadership and begin planning the upcoming International Day of Peace in September.
Seraph students were honored to be in the presence of peacekeepers such as Deborah Moldow and Monica Willard who are co-chairs for the NGO International Day of Peace as well as Brenden Varma, a representative from the UN Department of Public Information. Other attendees included George Anthony, primary representative of Pathways to Peace and coordinator of the Emerging Global Leaders Program; Avon Mattison, the President of Pathways to Peace; Rick Ulfik, the founder of We, The World and 11 Days of Global Unity; Victor Kazanjian, Exectuive Director of United Religions Initiative; Mussie Hailu, the URI Africa Regional Coordinator; Sande Hart of the Compassion Games; and Nina Meyerhof, Children of the Earth.
At the conference, Brenden Varma announced the theme, Together for Peace: Respect, Safety, and Dignity for All, for the International Day of Peace. >From September 11 – September 21, students in the Emerging Global Leaders program will start the 11 Days of Global Unity. The eleven themes are unity, interdependence, environment, economic justice, health, children and youth, women, human rights, freedom, disarmament, and peace.
Following the conference, members of the Emerging Global Leaders Program will begin to design an educational tool kit for refugee children to help them assimilate into their respective educational communities and begin preparations for the International Day of Peace. All are encouraged to join the Emerging Global Leaders Program in their efforts to promote peace on September 21, 2017.
For more go to https://www.materdeiprep.org/page/academics/emerging-global-leaders-program
