The Nobel Peace Prize Forum is an annual event bringing together Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, civic leaders, and scholars together with students and other citizens in an effort to engage peacemaking efforts around the world. The 2012 Forum used a variety of mediums and topics, ranging from “The Ethics of Hip Hop” to an address by Nobel Laureate F.W. de Klerk.

I attended the “Business Day” of the forum at the beginning of this month and was pleasantly surprised by the continual emphasis on the need for the private sector to be involved if peace can prevail on earth. The day was filled with a variety of interests from the private sector epresenting the large field it is-- renewable energy, microenterprise and entrepreneurs, agriculture and food industry, chambers of commerce, economics, etc.

I greatly appreciated all the presentations I attended throughout the day, but the final keynote speaker was astonishing. Saki Macozoma served time on Robben Island during Nelson Mandela's imprisonment and was a business leader throughout the ending of apartheid. He spoke of the South African private sector's collective involvement that kept the debating factions at the table during the ending of apartheid, and the business community’s involvement presently to help decrease unemployment. The key to his presentation was that the South African business community recognizes the benefits from social reform and high quality of life. This is a revolutionary concept. If the worldwide business community supported and understood this we could have a radically different world--one where corporate power could be a term of social change, not greed and corruption.

May peacemaking prevail on earth, and may all of us play a role,
Elizabeth Fairbairn, St. Joseph Worker & Justice Office Intern

For a schedule of the Business Day click here.
Please click here for the video archive of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize Forum.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

As the title suggest, November 23rd is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, sponsored by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

This is an annual celebration to shed light on the problems of violence against women around the globe, and to take action to eliminate such violence. The focus this year is youth leadership in preventing and ending violence against women and girls, in line with efforts to engage youth in the Secretary-General's UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign, and with the recent International Youth Year.

This day is a kick-off to 16 days of activism against gender violence, and the UN Women has created a 16 Step Policy Agenda aimed at ending gender violence. This, along with the UNiTE to End Violence campaign demonstrates a collaborative, cross-field approach to ending violence around the globe. I challenge each of us to read the 16 Step agenda and find at least one step that we can take action on.

For more information check out the Virtual Knowledge Center, provided by UN Women. I would also suggest the book Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn as a source of global experiences of women.

-Elizabeth Fairbairn, St. Joseph Worker & Justice Office Intern

September 21st International Day of Peace

The International Day of Peace ("Peace Day") provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date.

Peace Day is being celebrated by people all over the world. People in England have planned a meditation flash mob, people in Japan will be offering "Free Hugs for World Peace," people in Chile are planting a tree for each nation in the United Nations, and people in Nigeria are hosting a Peace Concert. To view events going on around the world and locally, please click here.

Anyone, anywhere can celebrate Peace Day. It can be as simple as lighting a candle at noon, saying a prayer for peace, or making peace in your own relationships.

Prayer of Saint Francis

Make me a channel of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.

Where there is injury, your pardon Lord,

and where there is doubt, true faith in You.

Make me a channel of your peace.

Where there is despair in life, let me bring hope.

Where there is darkness, only light,

and where there's sadness, ever joy.

Oh, Master grant that I may never seek

So much to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love, with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

In giving of ourselves that we receive,

and in dying that we are born to eternal life.