What is PeaceJam Southeast?

PeaceJam is an international education program built around Nobel Peace Prize Laureates who work personally with youth to pass on the spirit, skills, and wisdom they embody. The goal of PeaceJam is to inspire a new generation of leaders who will transform themselves, their local communities, and the world.

The Florida State University serves as the headquarters for the Southeast PeaceJam region. Florida State students serve as PeaceJam Scholars and participate in all aspects of the PeaceJam program.

The PeaceJam Program:

• Sparks commitment to justice and peace
• Builds cross-cultural understanding
• Increases social responsibility
• Increases global awareness
• Increases academic performance
• Provides positive role models
• Engages students in service-learning

How PeaceJam works:
Students in grades K through 12 study the PeaceJam curriculum and engage in service learning through PeaceJam’s Global Call to Action. Learn more about the curriculum here. PeaceJam is available to all schools, youth serving agencies or faith based institutions that serve youth ages 5-25. It can be built into a pre-existing program, an academic class, or an after school club. Each group determines how much time to spend on program content and how often to meet. The more time devoted to PeaceJam , the greater the impact the program will have on its participants.   Florida State students go weekly into Leon County schools to introduce PeaceJam curriculum and support Global Call to Action service initiatives.

The Global Call to Action:
In 2006 ten Nobel Peace Laureates announced PeaceJam’s Global Call, inviting the youth of the world to address ten fundamental issues which they consider to be the most pressing problems facing our world.  These include equal access to water, ending racism and hate, halting the spread of global disease, eliminating extreme poverty, social justice and human rights for all, rights for women and children, restoring the Earth’s environment, controlling the proliferation of weapons, investing in human security, and breaking the cycle of violence.  All participants in the PeaceJam program develop service initiatives in one or more of these areas.

The PeaceJam Slam:
In the fall PeaceJam offers an annual kick-off event called the PeaceJam Slam.  Students from throughout the Southeast region are invited to the FSU campus to engage in workshops and service. They meet in small groups facilitated by FSU students. Participants leave the Slam inspired to build the PeaceJam program in their schools and organizations and develop meaningful and sustainable service projects through the Global Call to Action.

The PeaceJam Conference:
Each spring the Florida State campus hosts a PeaceJam conference for high school students from throughout the Southeast region. Our 2012 conference will be held March 31st – April 1st and will be hosted by Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams. On 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 30th, Jody Williams will give a Public Talk at the Turnbull Conference Center for the FSU/Tallahassee community. Everyone is welcome at the Public Talk.

Although the conference is intended for high school students, college students and the FSU community play a major role. Florida State students have the opportunity to serve as conference facilitators (mentors) and serve on planning committees. Mentors participate in a number of pre-conference activities which include facilitation training, social activities, and in-depth training on PeaceJam and the visiting Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. For any questions about the mentor program, please contact Jaime Bayo by email at jbayo@fsu.edu or by phone at 645-1516.

More about Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams
Human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jody Williams will visit Florida State University during the weekend of March 31st – April 1st as part of PeaceJam Southeast, a program of the FSU Center for Leadership and Civic Education.

Jody Williams led the International Coalition to Ban Landmines, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. She is currently the president of the Nobel Women’s Initiative, and travels throughout the world to spread her message of equal rights and social justice for all. Most recently, she was the Head of Mission of the High-Level Mission dispatched by the Human Rights Council to report on the situation of human rights in Darfur and the needs of Sudan. To this day, she continues to be one of the most well-known and influential activists for women’s rights in the world.

Looking to apply for the 2012 PeaceJam International Experience?

Please click here for the application.