Dec. 7 Youth Symposium at Disney Institute - LaughingPlace.com: Disney World, Disneyland and More

Dec. 7 Youth Symposium at Disney Institute

Youth Peace Leaders Gather at Disney Institute for "Day of Peace"

On Tuesday, December 7th the Youth and Peace Symposium, will be held at Disney Institute in collaboration with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and with cooperation from the University of Central Florida.

The Youth and Peace Symposium is the first of the 15-month symposium series produced by Disney Institute to explore and debate the country's social issues through dialogue with leading experts and decision-makers. All symposiums will take place between November 1999 and December 2000 and will be held at Disney Institute in Walt Disney World in Florida.

Inspired by the 1998 resolution signed by 26 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates to establish the year 2000 as the International Year for the Culture of Peace, the Youth and Peace Symposium is designed to motivate today's youth to become peace messengers in their communities and beyond.

USIP was created by Congress in 1984 to strengthen the nations' capabilities to promote the peaceful resolution of international conflicts. USIP is an independent, non-partisan organization governed by a 15-member board of directors appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate. It supports peacemaking activities in the United States and around the world through grants, research, fellowships and scholarships, training and education.

The daylong symposium symbolizes a "Day of Peace" and is designed to initiate a dialogue on youth and peace, and to explore the growing role of young people in conflict resolution and reconciliation. It gathers young peace role models from the Balkans, Africa and Latin America, along with American high school students, educators, and international peacemakers, such as Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu; United Nations' Olara Otunnu, under secretary general, special representative of the secretary general for children and armed conflict; and the president of USIP, Richard Solomon, who will begin spreading the message of peace.

Among these young peacemakers who epitomize the quest for world peace is Dilia Lozano, the 15-year-old Colombian whose efforts for nonviolence earned her organization, Children's Peace Movement, two Nobel Peace Prize nominations. Joining Dilia are peacemakers from other war-torn countries, including 17-year-old Kimmie Weeks from Liberia, 21-year-old Ylber Bajraktari from Kosovo, 20-year-old Nadja Halilbegovich from Bosnia, and 25-year-old Hafsat Abiola from Nigeria. The five will share their experiences and insights on advancing the role of youth in peacemaking.

High school students and educators at the symposium will begin the day with facilitated, interactive workshops and simulation exercises designed to give them first-hand conflict resolution experience. The students will participate in four different sessions that examine conflict, including Media and Conflict, Sports and Conflict, Storytelling and Conflict, Peacemaking Simulation and Teaching about Conflict in the Classroom.

The Youth and Peace Symposium is a "youth-teaching-youth'' summit. Participants will explore peacemaking strategies not only through discussion and observation, but also through enactment. In addition, teachers will have the opportunity to discover conflict resolution techniques from experts, which they can then teach their students.

The event will culminate in a Town Hall Meeting, where international peacemakers, including Tutu and Otunnu, will discuss the future of peace and focus on reconciliation.

For more information, contact Disney Institute at (800) 282-9282.

Fact Sheet

Symposium Overview: Throughout the world and in the United States, violence, conflict and war have marked the 20th century. While many adults have asked what can be done, others, including children and teenagers, have taken steps to bring resolution and peace. In a daylong summit presented by Disney Institute, youth peace leaders from Liberia, Bosnia, Colombia, Kosovo, and Nigeria will share their experiences with more than 100 high school students in the hope of initiating positive dialogue about peace and reinforcing the role of young people in making a difference for the next century.

Through thought-provoking, interactive workshops, simulation exercises and engaging discussions, the Youth and Peace Symposium will equip high school participants with the skills and knowledge to engage in local, regional or global conflict resolution. Drawing on their diverse cultural backgrounds, wealth of experience and perspectives, symposium participants will exchange ideas and pave the way for further cross-cultural understanding, acceptance and appreciation.

Objective: The Youth and Peace Symposium presents a ``Day of Peace,'' dedicated to creating a vision of global peace by exploring the role young people play as peacemakers in the 21st century.

Designed to inspire today's youth to become peace ambassadors in their communities, the conference exposes participants both to young role models who are already making a difference in conflict-ridden areas across the world and to distinguished peacemakers, such as the Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Key Participants: The Youth and Peace Symposium will feature the following participants:

  • Youth and Peace Role Models: International youth peace leaders from Kosovo, Liberia, Colombia, Bosnia, and Nigeria.
  • High School Students: International studies and political science students from central Florida.
  • Educators in Conflict Resolution: Sean Byrne, director of doctoral studies, department of dispute resolution at NOVA Southeastern University, and Pamela Aall, director of education programs at the United States Institute of Peace.

Key Participants:

  • International Cultural Representatives from Epcot World Showcase countries and Disney's Animal Kingdom.
  • Keynote Town Hall Participants: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner; United Nations' Olara Otunnu, under secretary general, special representative of the secretary general for children and armed conflict and a renowned peacemaker; and Richard Solomon, United States Institute of Peace president.
  • Moderator: Tara Sonenshine, United States Institute of Peace senior advisor.

Alliances: Disney Institute World & Community Symposium Series is presenting the Youth and Peace Symposium in collaboration with the United States Institute of Peace and with the cooperation of the University of Central Florida.

Symposium Agenda

Morning Session
Facilitated workshops and simulation exercises will engage students and teachers in small-group dialogue on specific aspects of conflict resolution.

Workshops will include exercises, such as ``Media and Conflict'' that engages young people in role playing and script development to create programming in a conflict zone; "Sports and Conflict" that focuses on how young people can assume leadership roles in their communities to manage conflict; "Storytelling and Conflict" that uses storytelling and role-playing to examine how conflict can be resolved nonviolently; ``Peacemaking Simulation'' where students experience hands-on peacemaking through a fictitious conflict situation; and ``Teaching about Conflict in the Classroom'' designed for teachers interested in teaching conflict resolution.

Afternoon Session
Town Hall Meeting focusing on the future of peace through young people will culminate with a discussion with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

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-- Posted November 30th, 1999