Nobel Laureates Peace Summit: Day 2

May 3, 2012

Nobel Laureates Peace Summit: Day 2

Beth Bowman Greensburg Daily News

Greensburg — CHICAGO, ILL. -  Throughout the Nobel Laureates Peace Summit, inspiration was felt all around the room by those who attended.

Many words of inspiration were spoken the second day of the Nobel Peace Summit, and several outstanding people shared their knowledge with the audience. These people included Jody Williams, Lech Walesa, F. W. de Klerc, and Shirin Ebadi.

After hearing these people talk, many students felt they "knew they could make a difference."

The theme for the second day was "Women Forging Peace." Being female, this theme was particularly important to this reporter.

The panelists went on to talk about how women need to go out and demand peace within the world. Their words were empowering. They gave advice about how one person can make a difference. Volunteering was a primary action that got the Peace Prize winners where they are today.

Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize winner of 1997, took the stage by storm. "To achieve peace is to get true equality," Williams stated.

If everyone is considered equal, then peace would be spread through the world, he said.

A common theme was "stand up and speak out for peace."

This reporter was one of the few lucky students who were chosen to be in the video. Those in charge of the video basically asked me to tell what each of us had learned. Something learned was that everyone can make a difference.

People can come from a little town and make a difference, and the students who attended the Nobel Laureates Peace Summit learned many things that they will pass along to anybody and everybody.

All in attendance were encouraged to "stand up and speak out for peace."



(Beth Bowman is a student at North Decatur High School who attended last week's Nobel Laureates Peace Summit in Chicago. In all, 30 students from North Decatur, South Decatur and Greensburg High School attended the conference, which was the first of its kind in the United States. A report from the third and final day of the event will appear in an upcoming edition of the Daily News.)