Recent events
Annual Nobel Peace Laureate Lecture - 5th March 2010
PeaceJam UK Youth Conference 2010- 6th March-7th March 2010

Past events
PeaceJam UK Slam 2009
PeaceJam UK Youth Conference 2009- Shirin Ebadi
Peacejam UK Slam 2008
Global Call to Action Conference 2008
PeaceJam UK Youth Conference 2008 – Rigoberta Menchú Tum
PeaceJam UK Slam 2007
PeaceJam UK Youth Conference 2007– Jody Williams
PeaceJam UK Slam 2006
10th Anniversary PeaceJam in Denver 2006
PeaceJam UK Youth Conference 2006 – Máiread Corrigan 2006

Recent Events

Annual Nobel Peace Laureate Lecture
5th March 2010

On 5 March 2010 our annual Nobel Peace Laureate lecture will be given by a Head of State, President José Ramos Horta of East Timor. You will need a ticket for security reasons, which are £5.00 to the public and we have a batch of complimentary tickets for those involved in PeaceJam UK. You can request tickets through the ticketing site below.

NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE LECTURE
President of East Timor José Ramos Horta
The Challenges of Reconciliation and Eradicating Extreme Poverty‘

Friday 5 March 2010, 5pm Great Hall
D Floor, Richmond Building,
University of Bradford main campus.
Doors open from 4pm
For tickets go to: http://www.sutickets.com/event/67731

East Timor was a Portuguese colony until independence in 1975. This lasted just 9 days before the country was forcibly annexed by neighbouring Indonesia. There ensued a brutal 24 year-long civil war. In 1999 the UN intervened with a peacekeeping force and East Timor became independent again in 2002. It is still suffering the human and economic consequences of the civil war – poverty, displacement, shattered infrastructure and the legacy of widespread human rights violations.

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PeaceJam UK Youth Conference 2010 – 6th-7th March 2010

With Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and President of East Timor Jose Ramos-Horta!

See below link of the event
Inspired Times (pdf format)
www.inspiredtimesmagazine.com

Horta was presented with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his sustained efforts to end the oppression of the East Timorese people. As the youngest person to address the United Nations, he was successful in convincing UN representatives to pass a resolution supporting the independence of East Timor. Despite this victory, Indonesia continued its occupation. José continued to push the UN and other world leaders to convince Indonesia to allow East Timor to regain its freedom. In the year 2000, the people of East Timor won their struggle for independence and became the world’s newest democracy. Despite the fact that four of his eleven brothers and sisters were killed by the Indonesian military, José believes that peace can only come to East Timor though peace and forgiveness.

He says, “Just remember that violence leads you nowhere. We have to learn not to be violent if we want to have power. Compassion, generosity, humility, tolerance are real power.”

More than 250 young people are expected to gather at the University of Bradford to quiz the Nobel Laureate and take part in various activity facilitated by our well-trained student mentors. The participants will also have the opportunity to explore the issues of the challenges of reconciliation and eradicating extreme poverty in interactive workshops and via developing community service projects. In addition, they will be given the floor to present their own Global Call to Action projects and share what has inspired them to engage in PeaceJam UK. This breathtaking and unforgettable experience is wrapped up in heaps of fun and informative discussions, exciting Saturday party and delicious meals and, above all, in friendly atmosphere and jolly good time! PeaceJam: Change Starts Here! Let’s respond to the Global Call to Action Together!

Places are limited so contact us as SOON as possible to order your resource pack and register. The Youth Conference is £40 per youth participant and free for accompanying teachers/youth workers.

Please contact Sonia for further information:
Email: s.s.mahmood@bradford.ac.uk Tel: 01274 234206

Pleace contact Tony Myers for a registration packet:
Email: tonypeacejamuk@hotmail.co.uk Tel: 07772 018571.

We can support you in getting PeaceJam up and running in your school or youth group, and in bringing young people to a truly inspiring and life-changing weekend.

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PeaceJam UK Slam 14 November 2009

PeaceJam UK held a very successful Slam on 14 November 09 at the University of Bradford in partnership and fantastic funding support from the Co-operative Membership North Region, which was inspiring for all. PeaceJam has been student led since it started in Bradford in 2006, and the 35+ students who have been recruited, trained and taken on key organisational roles in the short time span of approx 2 months in the build-up to the Slam event are amazing in their passion, enthusiasm, support and incredible commitment.

There were 71 young people aged between 13-19 who attended the Slam event with their teachers and youth workers, with representation from 11 schools/youth groups. Groups came from across Bradford, York, Rochdale and Coventry. The PeaceJam UK Org Team comprised 7 key co-ordinators, 18 trained mentors and 10 volunteers, with support from the PJ UK Leadership team.

The 2009 PeaceJam Slam at the University of Bradford had the theme ‘What Is Fair?’ encouraging young people to think about and discuss issues such as human rights, equality, tolerance, discrimination, bullying and fair-trade. We had the pleasure to welcome guest speakers including our sponsor’s and key partner – Ed Powell – the Co-operative Membership North region, and Neil Martin – The Human Rights Commission who set the tone of the event. Students took part in workshops on the situation in North Korea, on homophobia, fair-trade and nuclear disarmament. They also had the chance of exploring the topic of fairness through drama, rap creating and song-writing and arts. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors – the Co-operative Membership North Region – PeaceJam UK officially launched the Global Call to Action Grant Scheme which allows young people to apply for up to £400 so that they can develop their own community projects based on the GCA issues and present their progress at the Conference in March.

The Slam was directed by our regular MC, Andy Brooks, and there were the usual family group breakout sessions led by the university student mentors giving time for co-operative activities, reflection and discussion. The two family group session time slots were spaces for teacher & youth worker training, which involves signposting to other projects and opportunities of active engagement in community projects beyond PeaceJam. Sessions involved in-house facilitation of the day, what works, what doesn’t, support needs, and looking towards supporting groups for the March 2010 Conference. Key-note speakers included – Neil Martin – Human Rights Commission, Trish Sandbach – who gave an overview on the global dimension and Julie Obermeyer from the Peace Museum.

There was an opportunity for all groups to speak about what projects they are involved in their local communities. The day ended with a fantastic performance by two rap artists – Bilal and Hassan, with MC Andy Brooks and one of the new groups from Rochdale who took part in the Rap Workshop. We have had very enthusiastic feedback from everyone, and the event for the 35+ students who had an important part to play in organising the event has provided them with a fantastic opportunity to learn, and share their skills and inspire other y/p – some who would never dream of university or further education as an opportunity for them – until now!

Venue: University of Bradford

Downloads
Poster of the Slam (7mb)

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PeaceJam Youth Conference 2009
7-8 March 2009 PeaceJam UK Youth Conference

With Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi from Iran . She was the first Muslim woman to:

receive the Nobel Peace Prize when she was honoured in 2003. She was also the first ever woman judge appointed in Iran. However, after the 1979 Revolution prevented women from serving as judges, she switched her attention to defending human rights cases, especially those affecting women and children, She is a strong defender of democracy and, as she still lives in Iran , continues to suffer harassment by the current government due to her views. Around 250 young people will get to meet and quiz the Nobel Laureate, continue their discussions in small groups facilitated by our carefully trained and screened student mentors, get a taste of practical voluntary and solidarity work, design and present their own PeaceJam Global Call to Action projects, and participate in lively and informative workshops. It’s an unbeatable mix of fun, seriousness, yummy food, funky music (early Saturday evening), and new friendships. Come and Make a Difference!

Places are limited so contact us SOON to order your resource pack and register. We can support you in getting PeaceJam up and running in your school or youth group, and in bringing young people to a truly life-changing weekend.

Venue: University of Bradford

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Past events

PeaceJam UK Slam 8 November 2008

The 2008 PeaceJam Slam at the University of Bradford had the theme Celebrate and Protect Human Rights, to mark 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one of the world’s most important documents. Students took part in workshops on Amnesty International, on genocide in Darfur , children’s rights and exploring human rights through drama. For those young people who attended the previous Youth Conference, it was an opportunity to share how their Global Call to Action projects are going, and acquire new skills through fun workshops. For newcomers, it was a ‘taster’ for the big Youth Conference in March 2009.

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PeaceJam International Global Call to Action Youth Conference
11-13 September 2008.

2,000 young people from around the world met in Los Angeles to pledge positive action for peace and social justice. Several schools from around the UK participated in this amazing event.

Find out what happened at:
http://www.peacejam.org/.

It’s all explained in Penguin’s new book  - available on:
Amazon



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PeaceJam UK Youth Conference 2008 – Rigoberta Menchú Tum

This year’s PeaceJam youth conference was the best yet, with 1992 Nobel PeacePrize winner Rigoberta Menchú Tum, an indigenous woman from Guatemala and some 200 young people from schools and youth groups in Yorkshire, the West Midlands and Gloucestershire. Rigoberta spoke movingly about her experience of the genocide of the Mayan people, which she brought to the world’s attention in the 1980s through her autobiography I, Rigoberta Menchú. She also talked about the spiritual and cosmic vision of her people, especially its close relationship with nature. Rigoberta is tremendously open-hearted and the young people really warmed to her, chatting, questioning, getting their PeaceJam t-shirts signed, and giving her a riotous send-off at the end of the event.

Later, the teenagers rolled up their sleeves for some practical volunteering projects. They learnt how to run a Fair Trade stall at school by baking FT flapjacks, cleaned up recycled tools for carpenters in Africa, tidied a local nature reserve, planted shrubs in the University’s new Peace Garden (uncomplainingly, in the rain!), wrote letters protesting about human rights abuses, and learnt about nuclear weapons, environmental sustainability, how to support villages in Tanzania, and how to volunteer here in the UK.

Saturday night has a huge success as we all learnt how to mambo and merengue, and our in-house DJ Sam Gibson played Latino rap on the decks. On the Sunday, they presented their impressively wide-ranging peace projects: fundraising for a playground in Africa, and a latrine in India, landmine clearance; Fair Trade status for their school; multicultural events, and anti-bullying and peer mentoring initiatives. The weekend ended with workshops involving collective painting, role play, samba instruments, film making with mobile phones, hip-hop, conflict resolution, and practical anti-racism.

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PeaceJam UK Slam 2007

The PeaceJam Slam is a one-day event held in early November. For those young

people who attended the previous Youth Conference, it is an opportunity to share how their Global Call to Action projects are going, and acquire new skills through fun workshops, normally around a specific theme. For newcomers, it is a ‘taster’ for the big Youth Conference in March.

2007’s Slam focused on the theme of Love and Hate: From Racism and Hatred to Human Solidarity, especially on our society’s prejudices about asylum-seekers. The day kicked off with an extraordinary singing and drumming performance by the Mussanzi Family Choir, who related how they had managed to flee from terrible violence in their homeland, the Congo.

For an interview with Rehema Mussanzi click here

After a discussion about the myths in circulation about asylum-seekers, we painted

peace umbrellas, learnt Burmese dancing from Karen refugees and how to raise money for youth projects from the Scarman Trust, painted peace umbrellas, wrote peace poems and raps, played samba drums, discussed violence against women and nuclear weapons, and explored our reactions to difference and day-to-day conflicts.

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PeaceJam UK Youth Conference 2007 – Jody Williams

The PeaceJam UK Youth Conference in 2007 was held at the University of Bradford. The Nobel Peace Laureate who participated during the event was the wonderful Jody Williams, the founding coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and the winner of 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. She is outspoken and inspirational character!

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PeaceJam Slam 2006

Six months later we held the one-day PeaceJam Slam on October 14 at Bradford. At this one-day conference, youth participants reported back on the progress of their projects, problems encountered and plans for the future, and participated in skills-building workshops around conflict resolution and mediation.

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10th Anniversary PeaceJam in Denver September 2006

Some were also able to relate the wonderful experience of attending the 10th Anniversary PeaceJam conference held in September in Denver, Colorado, at the invitation of the PeaceJam Foundation in the USA, which runs the project worldwide. The Denver event brought together 10 Nobel Laureates with 3,000 young people from East Timor, Argentina, Costa Rica, South Africa, Guatemala, Tibet, Burma and the USA. A group of 17 British PeaceJammers, plus adults and Peace Studies staff and students, were able to listen to, debate with, and work alongside, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, President of Costa Rica Oscar Arias, Prime Minister of East Timor José Ramos Horta, Shirin Ebadi, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Jody Williams, Máiread Corrigan Maguire, Betty Williams and Rigoberto Menchu Tum.

The need for PeaceJam was, sadly underscored just 10 days later when a fellow PeaceJammer, teenager Emily Keyes, was shot dead by a gunman who held her classmates hostage at Platte Canyon high school, near Denver. The Bradford PeaceJam Slam was dedicated to Emily whose mother asked PeaceJammers to ‘practice random acts of kindness in Emily’s memory’.

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PeaceJam UK Youth Conference 2006 – Máiread Corrigan 2006

The first ever UK PeaceJam conference was held on 25-6 March, 2006. Some 60 teenagers from Bradford, Coventry, London and Pontefract listened to inspiring presentations from Máiread Corrigan Maguire, a Northern Irish peace activist awarded the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize, quizzed her on how she dealt with violence in her own life, and offered their inspirations and ideas on how they too could become peacemakers – at home, at school and in the world. The young people presented their proposals for peace actions in their schools – which ranged from peer mediation, to anti-bullying campaigns, lobbying for fair trade status, and reaching out to foreign students.

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