Posted January 20, 2009

This past week, Karen Chadwick and I had the privilege to meet with students at Kalamazoo Central High School who are members of the PeaceJam group at that school. It was a great experience and a great connection.

I shared information about the Department of Peace and Nonviolence campaign and our role as citizen lobbyists. I asked them, as young peace-oriented citizens, to contact Fred Upton and ask him to support the Department of Peace and Nonviolence legislation.

Karen, who is a life-long peace activist, told of her reasons for being part of the DoP campaign and of our activities and accomplishments to bring this campaign to the awareness of many, regardless of age, here in SW Michigan.

The rest of the meeting consisted of the students' conversations about peace and social justice service projects they want to perform this school year, and their intention to attend the annual Great Lakes PeaceJam conference at Western Michigan University at the end of March. Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams will be the keynote participant there.

The opportunity to speak to these refreshing young students came as a result of a financial donation that our DoP group made to this PeaceJam club. The money was used to pay their annual PeaceJam membership and as well as part of the cost of a service project.

As a bonus to the DoP campaign, the students and their advisors asked Karen and I to stand with them for their group photo for the Kalamazoo Central High School yearbook, so the DoP might receive a cameo mention in that publication.