Nine students enrolled with the International School of the Kootenays who hail from Nelson, Argenta, and Kaslo, just returned from a “life-changing” experience participating in the PeaceJam Global Call to Action international youth peace conference held in Los Angeles, September 10 – 13. The students attended a plenary session with all seven Nobel Peace Laureates in attendance, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  One highlight of the conference for the students was presenting their own peace project idea to Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer and human rights activist who was awarded the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights. She is the first Iranian, the first Shia, and the first Muslim woman to receive the prize.

While in Los Angeles, the students bussed across the city to help paint a colorful mural on a wall of an East Los Angeles high school.  The mural depicts symbols and historic figures important in Mexican and Latino culture.  According to ISK teacher, Alison Talbot Kelly, who accompanied the students to LA, “It was quite the learning experience for the students to visit a high school surrounded by security fencing and with 5,000 students of several different races.”  Now back in the Kootenays, some of the students will continue their studies with ISK and begin their own Global Call to Action to advance peace education in the region through peace camps for primary, middle, and high school students.

The public is invited to help ISK recuperate the costs of participating in the conference with a tax-deductible contribution.  For more information, contact ISK at 250-354-1310.