ABOUT the Youth Peace Movement

At SEA, our students and their families come in daily contact with mental, spiritual, and emotional unhealthiness such as violence, drugs, and gangs. We are dedicated to going even deeper than the academic needs of our students; we address the problems of the soul, spirit, and the imprint of violence on our psyche.

To deepen our work we began to ask ourselves, what if we worked FOR something instead of AGAINST something. If we are against violence, we are for peace. If we are against drug abuse, we are for service to others. If we are against gangs, we are for youth groups of peace.

YPM started in 2008 when students attended a Peacejam Conference with six Nobel Peace Laureates. For the first time, 120 SEA youth heard dedicated world leaders share their actions towards peace; thus, the Youth Peace Movement was born.

Today, there is a YPM program at each one of our campuses and students study the 10 global calls to action and put them into practice in their own communities.

YPM MISSION

The SEA Youth Peace Movement is composed of youth groups and mentors. YPM empowers, motivates, promotes, and encourages the evolution, growth, and participation of young people in finding creative and peace-filled solutions to today’s world problems. Their involvement is accompanied by trainings, mentors, dedicated adults, and global leaders. This movement of peace unlocks their inner strengths, talents, creativity, and dedication. This process transforms them into leaders, models, and guides to their own peers. They learn that peace, love, and compassion are stronger than violence, hatred, and revenge.

TEN GLOBAL CALLS TO ACTION

  1. Equal access to water and other natural resources
  2. Ending racism and hate
  3. Halting the spread of global disease
  4. Eliminating extreme poverty
  5. Social justice and human rights for all
  6. Rights for women and children and their role as leaders
  7. Restoring the earth’s environment
  8. Controlling the proliferation of weapons
  9. Breaking the cycle of violence
  10. Investing in human security

YOUTH PEACE MOVEMENT CONFERENCE

The Youth Peace Movement Conference brings together SEA students from all over Los Angeles County to participate in a two-day interactive forum. The conference takes place once a year in November and is centered around a theme of peace. SEA participants engage with world-renowned leaders to learn about peace and foster an environment to cultivate future peacemakers within our own students. SEA students broaden their horizons and become global citizens through learning and listening to global struggles and nonviolent solutions. Student dive deep into conversations and activities which inspire them to use their own lives and experiences as stepping stones to greatness.

During the conference SEA Youth, from each education center, are able to present their YPM call to action projects to everyone in attendance. We encourage recognizing our students to bring positive and creative solutions to their communities.

Past YPM Conferences have focused on themes such as “From Violence to Peace” with Rigoberta Menchu to “Becoming Peacemakers” with Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma

PAST CONFERENCES

  • Rigoberta Menchu Tum (2009) “From Violence to Peace”
  • Jody Williams (2010) “Replacing the Landmin(d)s of Violence with Peace”
  • Arun Gandhi (2011) “Becoming Peacemakers”
  • Ishmael Beah (2012) “No Limits Using our Life as a Stepping Stone for Greatness”
  • Kenneth Morris, Jr. (2013) “Modern Day Slavery”
  • Jose Moreno Hernandez (2014) “Reach for Your Dreams”
  • Panel of Speakers (2015) “Human Trafficking- How to Become Advocates and Empathize”
  • Todd Huston (2016) “No Limits”
  • Norma Bastidas (2017) “Be Relentless”

Office:
Central Support Office
222 N. Virgil Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Contact:
Sr. Ines Telles
itelles@seaprograms.org
(213) 479-6066

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