Kevin Walsh

I never anticipated the marketing of a student peace conference could be so challenging. Given that there were more than a dozen panels and presentations on topics ranging from action programs in South Bend to educational efforts in Rwanda, it seemed nearly impossible to capture the spirit of the 2006 event in one catchy phrase. As part of the conference organizing team, I wondered if the event would be doomed by weak attendance. Thankfully, it was not.

The very diversity of the conference was its greatest strength.

“There was something for everyone,” a student told me after leaving the last of the panels, one concerning economic development and peacebuilding. “It shows how no matter your interests or your major, there is always an opportunity to
do something.”

Celebrating this spirit, the March 31-April 1 conference brought together undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals from various walks of life and academic disciplines under the title “Voices of Today, Changes for Tomorrow.” The assorted speakers highlighted not only the problems that afflict our global society, but also empowered students with the knowledge that they have the ability to change it.

This was the Kroc Institute’s 14th annual peace conference planned by and organized for undergraduate students. Two hundred participants attended the event, held at the Hesburgh Center for International Studies. Students hailed from dozens of universities, from Columbia University in New York to the University of California-Berkeley. After enjoying an opening banquet, they were entertained by the Indian dance troupe Banghara and folk singer/peace activist Joe Tascheta.

Keynote speaker and Kroc graduate Jian Yi (M.A. ’98) spoke on the value of peacefully empowering those who have been marginalized and forgotten. Jian Yi has spent recent years documenting self-governance in rural China, where his work has helped villagers realize that they can create change through nonviolent means.
His talk, “Documenting Self-Governance in China: Empowering Individuals Through Film,” highlighted student activism, youth leadership, and the role of youth in peacebuilding.

Others at the lectern spoke from their own experience in working with youth. The Rev. Jack McGinnis and Kim Overdyke (M.A. ’02) described their efforts as, respectively, creator of the PeaceKit for Kids and director of the Take Ten youth violence-prevention program. Kroc Institute Visiting Fellow Myla Leguro, director of the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute in the Philippines, enriched her address with songs of peace written by Mindanao youth.

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the conference was the interaction of students who attended the panel discussions. Whether the topic was protection of human rights along international borders or the role of the arts in peacebuilding, these panels fostered lively and informative conversation. They attracted the largest and most diverse audiences. Among those attending were students who were uncertain of the usefulness of peacebuilding courses in their careers.

“I was quite encouraged to continue in this field by being able to participate in this conference,” commented Jason Millar, a junior attending from Cleveland’s John Carroll University. The conference aspired to strengthen and unite the voices of youth in order to create profound changes in the world, and responses like Jason’s were the best indicators that it reached that goal.

Kevin J. Walsh (B.A. ’06), majored in political science and peace studies. He will attend Villanova University School of Law.