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A Call to Action
September 11, 2008, will not only be a day to honor victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks, it will also be a day for a global call to action for peace through the PeaceJam Foundation. Dr. Angelou talks about PeaceJam, a Colorado-based organization that brings together young people with Nobel Peace Prize winners to inspire a new generation to embrace service work and peace. She also talks with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and aid worker Jody Williams, two Nobel Peace Prize winners who are passionate about PeaceJam's mission.
When Archbishop Tutu gathers with the young people of PeaceJam and other Nobel Peace Prize winners at the September 11 conference, he says he wants to send a message to the youth that anyone can work to create peace. "Nobel Laureates don't fall from the sky—Nobel Laureates are ordinary human beings like you," he says. "At one time we were as young as you and you have it in you to become a Peace Laureate." While Archbishop Tutu's lifework of fighting for peace and equality is admired by many, he says it's the young people of PeaceJam who inspire him. PeaceJam members' efforts include eradicating disease, creating access to clean water, eliminating weapons of war and standing up against those who perpetrate violence against women and children. "These young people are incredible—they are taking very seriously this call," Archbishop Tutu says. Jody, the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize winner, is the founding coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. She says PeaceJam's concept is helping young people understand all the ways they can contribute to make the world a better, more peaceful place. "I have to say it is one of the most inspiring things I offer my time to," she says. By inspiring young people, Jody says she is part of a movement of peace and hope that can change the world. "The community of belief in change is, I think, growing dramatically," she says. "It's time for a new world view, and I want to be one of the people out there creating that new world view."
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