Living in Colorado ALWAYS feels like a gift, but never more so than last Saturday night.
PeaceJam started right here in the metro Denver area, with some local activists joining up with the Dalai Lama in an effort to raise an entire generation of peacemakers. The Dalai Lama recruited some of his buds, all of them recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize, and those Laureates became the heart and soul of a program that is now international and millions strong.
Every year, PeaceJam holds an international conference; this year, to celebrate its 10th anniversary, PeaceJam invited 10 Nobel Laureates to participate in the activities - - and they DID. Denver was host not only to 3,000 kids representing 31 countries, but also was the temporary home of TEN Nobel Peace Prize winners.
Would ya LOOK at those FACES???? Well, on Saturday night, I laid down some $$$$ for excellent seats to not only look at those faces but hear their words. Wayf of
Stream of Consciousness, are ya jealous yet?
All 10 Nobel Laureates spoke:
* Oscar Arias
"We must talk about human security, security against disease, hunger. ... As scary as terrorism is, there are far scarier threats to human security that receive only a fraction of the attention."
* Mairead Corrigan Maguire
"Our ability to do great things is sometimes you get it wrong. But we are capable of doing great things. To change the world, you've got to believe in yourself."
* Jose Ramos-Horta
"The poorest are the ones that are affected most, through impoverishment and the lack of access to medicine and other basic benefits from the state. When a regime is punished with sanctions, it is not willing to take money out of its budget for the army to make up for the loss in social sectors. So there will be less money for education, for poverty alleviation and so on."
* Betty Williams
"Take your country back!"
"An eleven year old is smarter than your president!" (Speaking about an 11 y/o who started an orphanage)
* Adolfo Perez Esquivel
"The people of the United States have to stand up. You have to stand up and say no to war, to say no to torture, to stand up and say no to the invasion of other countries. We are all peoples, we are all brothers and sisters, and we have to learn to live in unity and solidarity."
Rigoberta Menchu Tum
"Our society is not only the human life, it's also the flowers. These flowers have life. The rivers, the mountains, our mother Earth, all of that is also life. ... This world, it is very a materialistic world."
* Shirin Ebadi
"When people are oppressed all their lives and they are deprived of their most basic human rights, they may lose control and set fire to a world where they themselves and others may die. When 80 percent of the wealth of the world belongs to 1 percent of the world, how can we expect peace?"
* The Dalai Lama
"So, listen, listen, this is good: I usually believe our action - with clear vision - is more important than prayer."
"As far as compassion is concerned, we all have the same potential. So think. Think properly, calmly, and, then, as I mentioned earlier, with self-confidence. And also create more friends. Then you become a superhero."
* Desmond Tutu
"You [U.S. citizens] are some of the most incrediby generous people! Your philanthropy is fantastic! How about exporting your generosity instead of your bombs?"
* Jody Williams
"Peace is not a dove. Peace is not a rainbow. Peace is not 'Kumbaya' and bad poetry. ... When you talk about a different world, a different kind of global security, you're talking about hard work."
They were amazing, inspiring, a wonderful reminder of the power of one.
But you wanna know the coolest part? The PeaceJammers. This throng of 3,000 kids from all sorts of cultures and religions screamed and yelled for the Nobel Laureates like they were Green Day.
These kids know who the REAL rock stars are.....
Status offenses are "crimes" only due to the age of the offender and not on the offense per se. Examples include:
