One of my best experiences here in Costa Rica was PeaceJam. Peace Jam is an international educational organization, headquartered in Denver. It is built around Nobel Laureates who work personally with youth to pass on spirit, skills and wisdom. PeaceJam hopes to build leaders who will help transform thier lives, their communities and the world. Participants study peacemakers, create service plans, and meet together to share growth and experiences (www.peacejam.org). In Costa Rica youth 14-19 from all over the country spent the weekend with Rigoberta Menchu Tum. She is an indigenous leader and activist from Guatemala. She won the Nobel Peace Prize for waking the world up to the systematic and bloody human rights violations perpetrated by the army on the indigenous people during Guatemala's long and civil war.
I had the pleasure of spending the day seeing and getting to know 200 + active, engaged youth. The force of so many young people united, hopeful, involved and active in their communities makes me smile still. I was also lucky to get to spend some time with Marcos, the hardworking, tireless guy who is helping PeaceJam become a reality in Latin America. But most amazing of all, I got to speak with and listen to Rigoberta. I truly felt like I was in the presence of someone great. She was kind, profound, yet simple. She discussed everything from Obama's recently election, to cultural relativism and sustainability. She talked about how funny and awkward teenagers are, and discussed globalization's effect on women in Latin America. She talked about xenophobia and her deep connection with the land that is her home. It was really a magical and special experience.
Me meeting Rigoberta Menchu.
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