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Laureate’s lecture ahead of first-ever UK PeaceJam weekender for kids

Press Release - 21 March 2006

The Nobel Peace Laureate, Mairead Corrigan McGuire, will give a free public lecture at the University of Bradford this week ahead of a unique weekend of activities around conflict resolution for school children.

Mairead will be discussing global issues around peace and conflict resolution with staff, students and members of the public at 5pm on Friday 24 March 2006 in the John Stanley Bell Lecture Theatre, Richmond Building, on the main campus of the University.

This free lecture, organised by the University's internationally-renowned Department of Peace Studies, is part of the University's 40th Anniversary celebrations. It precedes a weekend of activities for around 50 school children as the 'PeaceJam' youth conference makes its debut appearance in the UK - in Bradford.

PeaceJam is an international education programme which started in the USA 10 years ago and now operates in nine other countries worldwide.

The programme is built around leading Nobel Peace Laureates, such as Mairead, who work personally with young people to pass on the spirit, skills and wisdom they embody. The goal of PeaceJam is to inspire a new generation of peacemakers who will take their new found knowledge back to their local communities.

Children from schools across Bradford and Britain will be descending on the University of Bradford on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 March 2006 with their teachers to get involved in the PeaceJam. There will be games and fun activities alongside more serious talks and the setting up of community projects for youngsters and their families.

Dr Peter Van den Dungen from the University's Department of Peace Studies, said: "We are delighted to welcome Mairead to Bradford 30 years after she was awarded her Nobel Peace Prize.

"Mairead's lecture and her workshops with the youngsters are wonderful opportunities to learn from a great and inspiring practitioner who is involved in the vital work of peacemaking.

"Since Mairead's life was so tragically affected by the violent events in Northern Ireland she has become one of the world's most courageous, committed, and convincing advocates for the power of non-violence.

"She is an active and engaged peacemaker in trouble spots around the world stressing, like Gandhi and Dr Martin Luther King before her, the power of each of us to make a real difference and thus bring about a world of true humanity."

Speaking about the events over the weekend, Tony Myers from PeaceJam UK, said: "We give schools and kids a fantastic opportunity to learn about and work with Nobel Peace Laureates on a range of issues.

"They learn about important issues as well as looking at how to deal with problems and conflict in a non-violent manner. The Laureates help to create the curriculum and work personally with the youngsters, passing on their skills and wisdom as well as explaining what inspires them to continue their work.

"The students also set up and work on a project that will improve their own neighbourhood so the objectives include solving local as well as global issues."

This year's PeaceJam event at the University of Bradford is the first of an annual commitment which will see the PeaceJam youth conference come to Bradford with a different laureate each year.

Notes to Editors

Mairead (pronounced ‘Mar-aid’) Corrigan McGuire

Peace Laureate Mairead, who will be heavily involved in the Peace Jam event on 25 and 26 March, was awarded the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Betty Williams, as co-Founders of the Northern Ireland Peace Movement (later renamed Community of Peace People).

A non-violent movement, the Community of Peace People bring together young people from both traditions in Northern Ireland - some who never get the opportunity to come together to talk about the problems they face.

See: http://www.peacejam.org/pages/laureates_mairead/laureates_mairead.htm (external link to the PeaceJam website - will open in a new window)

PeaceJam

This award-wining international education programme was started in the USA 10 years ago, operates in nine other countries worldwide and so far over 200,000 teenagers have taken part.

Over 100 PeaceJam youth conferences have taken place around the world and the evaluation data shows that 93 per cent of those who took part, leave believing that 'One person can make a difference'.

For more information about Peace Jam, visit: www.peacejam.org (external link to the PeaceJam website - will open in a new window)

21 March 2006