Student-UN Videoconference Series

The September 19th videoconference followed the International Day of Peace Ceremony taking place in the morning at the United Nations. Dr. Goodall and other speakers took part in both activities.

The videoconference examined peace education, youth and sustainability to accomplish conflict prevention. Speakers for the September 19th videoconference included:
 

• Dr. Jane Goodall, a UN Peace Messenger and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research
• Audrey Kitagawa (moderator/speaker),Advisor, UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
• Jacqueline Murekatete (Rwanda) and other youth representatives from the Share the Spirit of Peace Youth Summit and International Day of Peace UN Ceremony coming from regions of conflict such as: Rwanda, Yugoslavia, Liberia (Kimmie Weeks), Israel (Oran Cohen), as well as Australia (Jackie Furtado) and others
• Nina Meyerhof and Jon Schottland, Vermont Peace Academy, Children of the Earth, Seeds of Peace
• Rick Ulfik, Founder and Director of We, The World

1 University (in Iowa) and 6 Vermont High Schools totaling over 300 students were connected to the United Nations where Dr. Jane Goodall joined several remarkable young people who survived violence and genocide in Rwanda, Bosnia, Liberia and elsewhere and shared how their experiences have motivated them to devote their lives to promoting peace and co-existence. For example, 18-year-old Jacqueline Murekatete (from Rwanda) now speaks in schools and other community gatherings with a man who survived the Holocaust in Germany. Together they share their experiences and their mission to prevent genocides like those from ever happening again.

During the videoconference Dr. Goodall shared her inspiring words and accomplishments as well. Students and speakers were able to fully see and interact with each other.

The videoconference was so moving to a reporter covering it at the UN for Education Update (a newspaper that reaches 200,000 parents, educators, and students) that the publication's editor has made our event the Cover Story of their 8th Anniversary issue!

Please contact us to order videotapes ($25 US per copy) of this or the July 9th videoconference with Congressman and Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich: Videoconferences

NOTE: We are seeking a sponsor for live webcasts of our upcoming videoconferences. Please let us know if you have any contacts in that area.

Also, there are still openings for University Host Sites for our upcoming videoconferences. Please contact us if your affiliated University might be interested in participating: (Videoconferences)

Series Launched Wednesday July 9, 2003

Videoconference Series Presented by
We, The World

Sponsored by
The Lifebridge Foundation
 Vermont Interactive Learning Network
Eleanor Wasson
and John Krysko

Co-Sponsored by
Transitioners.org
Children of the Earth
Vermont Peace Academy
Good News Broadcast.com
Music Therapists For Peace
WorldPeaceProductions.org
The Buckminster Fuller Institute
The Global Youth Action Network
The Foundation for Ethics and Meaning
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
Communications Coordination Committee of the United Nations

As the U. S. Congress is poised to appropriate billions of additional dollars for the Defense Budget and Homeland Security, there is little public discussion about the programs, policies and practices that can prevent armed conflict, repression and terrorism, which are less costly on many levels and could be more effective in the long run in contributing to the increase of peace and security around the world.

At times of crisis, practices of prevention typically get even less media attention than usual. An important way that such ideas and information can be disseminated is through in-depth discussion on media channels with wide audiences. This Student Videoconference series offers an appealing and valuable setting for this to take place.

Each event of this series links Universities, the United Nations and featured speakers. The series is webcast and covered on a variety of media.

In September 2003 the Videoconference Series is being convened in recognition of Interdependence Day which We, The World launched in September 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg South Africa.

Upcoming Videoconferences
Your affiliated University can become one of the Host Sites for this Videoconference series. Please let us know if your University would like to participate in the series and what the available dates and times are.

Hosts receive acknowledgment during the broadcast, on our website (with a link) and on promotional materials.

Videoconference Format
Videoconferences are facilitated by a Chair at each connecting site. And there is one overall moderator. After 7-10 minute presentations by the featured speakers students (and faculty) at each of the connected sites will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the speakers. Each Videoconference is generally 1 1/2 hours long after which Universities may resume discussion separately if they wish.

Technical Requirements
Host sites will need to have a videoconference facility that uses an ISDN line with connection speeds of 256 to 384 kbps (384 is standard offering much better quality). Connecting via IP may also be an option. (Please contact us about IP). The Videoconference room should be able to accommodate at least 20 or more students. Please let us know if your University can also simultaneously webcast the Videoconference.

Cost to Universities
$350 for each of the University sites (in continental U.S.) covers the
technical/connection and related costs, including a run-through test link-up done several days prior to the actual videoconference. Partial or full "scholarships" may be available in certain cases.

Videoconference Host Sites on July 9, 2003
American University
The University of Minnesota
The United Nations
The U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Dennis Kucinich

To view the July 9th Videoconference (90 minutes long),
please click on the link below.
NOTE: If the Videoconference is not active at this link,
please send us an email message
(Videoconferences)
and we'll contact you when the Videoconference archive is back online.

Archive of We, The World Videoconference July 9, 2003
NOTE: 1) Click on We, The World - Videoconference, 2) Click WMV on the left side.

Guest speakers for the first of the series on July 9, 2003 included:

* Congressman and Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich, who has introduced legislation mandating a Cabinet level Department of Peace in the U.S. government

* Felicity Hill, from the UN Development Organization for Women working for UN Resolution 1325 and for an essential role for women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding

* Mel Duncan, Executive Director of the Nonviolent Peaceforce: international trained, unarmed civilians applying proven nonviolent strategies to protect human rights, deter violence, and help local peacemakers to carry out their work

* Rick Ulfik, Founder and Director of We, The World

* Gemma Adaba (Moderator), UN Representative, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions

American University in Washington, D.C., one of the participating Universities, held a special gathering for this Videoconference with about 150 participants, including international conflict resolution practitioners who were participating in the Peacebuilding & Development Summer Institute and came from such diverse countries such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, The Gambia, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Australia, Ethiopia, Japan, Albania, Denmark, and from several Latin American and Caribbean countries; also Greek and Cypriot youth and professionals from the Washington D.C. area including former and current foreign service officers, World Bank, OAS, CARE, Mercy Corps, UNHCR, and The World Affairs Council officials. In addition, Master's degree students from fields such as International Peace & Conflict Resolution and International Development also participated in the Videoconference.

Youth Forum
Peace in Action
November 5, 2003

Speakers included:

Nana Osei Boakye Yiadom II (Apeadu) - Queenmother/chief of Aburi, Ghana. and Co-Founder of the Apeadu Peace Center which provides assistance and advocacy for refugee women and children in Africa. It offers community teacher training and youth training, creating Youth Ambassadors who, among other things, are working with young people in a Liberian refugee camp in Ghana teaching them beadwork skills to bring in money and other skills they can use. The Apeadu Center also sponsored an environmental cleanup that the entire community took part in.

Audrey Kitagawa - Advisor, UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict

Andres Guerrero - representative of UNICEF

Lori Heninger - speaker/moderator - Quakers office of the United Nations, studying the problem of child soldiers being used in conflict areas.

Heather Moore - Youth Leader from Miracle Corners of the World, which has assisted young people in establishing micro-enterprises and constructing a community center in Arusha, Tanzania which today serves as a resource center for both the local community and volunteers from abroad.

Blair Bodine - Singer, songwriter creating CDs for Children of the Earth

Jonathan Sawyer - representative of Global Kids

Plus

Heather Moore moderated a section of the videoconference for student project presentations.One student representative from each connected school site spoke about a successful peace-related project that they initiated.

Also, Nina Meyerhof (Co-Founder, Vermont Peace Academy; President, Children of the Earth, Co-Founder, the Apeadu Peace Center) facilitated a presentation led by Vermont students who are interested in planning a Vermont Youth Peace Summit to be held in January.

The Videoconference Bridge was provided by the Vermont Interactive Learning Network. Participating linked sites for the November 5th Videoconference included:

The United Nations
George Mason University (Washington DC)
Mills College (California)
Several Vermont High Schools participating in the Vermont Peace Academy's Peace Education Program

As usual, the program was fully interactive with students from any of the linked sites being able to ask questions and connect with the speakers.

Videoconference Series topics:

(Practices Of Prevention That Build Peace And Security helping to create a sustainable planet with peaceful co-existence among all peoples and respect for all life:)

- fund the transition from fossil fuels to renewable non-polluting energy sources worldwide

- support business responsibility regarding labor, the environment and other areas

- promote the multilateral framework of the United Nations, its institutions and its legal instruments for resolving international conflicts

- establish a Department or Ministry of Peace in every country

- promote peacebuilding through insuring basic human needs worldwide such as food, water and shelter

- support universal access to healthcare and all components of healthy living including: sanitary living conditions, chemical-free food and water, pollution-free land, sea and air

- promote a culture of environmental stewardship and an international collaboration to reduce and eliminate global warming, the mass extinction of species and other ecological damage that threatens our existence

- provide significant funding for public media that are independent of special interests

- promote peace education programs at all grade levels

- prioritize nonviolent forms of communication at all levels from personal to international

- promote peacebuilding through empowering women

- promote peacebuilding through Interfaith dialogue and understanding

- support the creation of democratic practices and institutions worldwide.

- support the use of field-tested programs in nonviolent intervention such as nonviolent civilian peacekeeping forces

- support the mediation of conflict

- reduce weapons sales

- reduce and eliminate stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction worldwide

- support disarmament talks and treaties

Click here to get involved!