For three days this September, over 3,000 young people from every continent and every walk of life will gather at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. There they will get the chance to meet seven of the GCA Nobel Peace Prize laureates and work side-by-side with them on the critical problems facing our planet.

 The conference, held September 11-13, will mark the official launch of a powerful international youth movement, PeaceJam’s Global Call to Action campaign. Those attending will be greeted by an extraordinary gathering of Nobel Peace Prize winners. The Nobel laureates in attendance will be: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Shirin Ebadi, Jody Williams, Jose Ramos-Horta and Betty Williams.

 In Los Angeles, each of the Nobel Prize winners will lead a small group workshop. And in the true PeaceJam spirit, everyone at the conference will have time to work together on community-based projects throughout the city. And of course, conference goers will get to meet GCA members from around the world, to exchange ideas and make new friends. They might even meet some of the PeaceJammers who have already worked with the Nobel laureates on GCA projects.

They might, for example, get to meet a poet and musician from South Africa named Scrooge. For over a year-and-a-half the 24-year-old activist has been creating an HIV/AIDS education campaign in his home township of Khayelitsha, With the help of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Scrooge has been working tirelessly, using his resources and skills as an independent musician to end the stigma attached to the disease and encourage young people to get tested.

Also at the conference will be 22-year-old Jessica, a college student from Missouri . With the help of laureate Jody Williams, Jessica has been organizing ‘Dollars for Darfur’ dinner nights at restaurants and clubs. She has also met with the Missouri State Treasurer to try to get the state to end its investments in Sudan.

Of course, not everyone can make it to Los Angeles, so look for live blogging on this site beginning September 11. And remember, the conference is just the beginning. The Global Call to Action is just starting – we have the next ten years to make it a reality. Whether you can make it to L.A. or not, you can become teammates with the Nobel laureates and the other Global Call to Action members around the world. Become part of this historic movement. Answer the Call to Action!

See the full conference agenda.

PeaceJam’s Global Call to Action Conference was made possible with the support of Los Angeles area partners including Loyola Marymount University, the LA Peace Collaborative, Herbalife, the Hip Hop Café, YPO and the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation.

Sponsors:

Loyola Marymount Universiy
LA Peace
Cesar E Chavez Foundation
Hip Hop Café
Herbalife
YPO