1998

Local Peacemakers Gather At University

by Veronica Chavez

Looking for the recipe for peace? The Center for Holocaust, Genocide & Peace Studies are cooking up their second annual "Meet the Peacemakers."

The event, to be held Wednesday, April 30 at 7 p.m. in the ASUN Auditorium, will focus on five Nevadans as they share their dedication to peacemaking.

"We asked five people to speak who have very different backgrounds in one way or another and have contributed to the realization of international peace"." said Dr. Viktoria Hertling, director of the center, which will become the Program of Holocaust, Genocide & Peace Studies.


An elementary student reads her poem "Why Did God Color
Me Wrong?" at last year's "Meet the Peacemakers."

The speakers will be Rabbi Myra Soifer of Temple Sinai, reporter Adolto Segura or the Hola program with Carson City's community access television station, Bree Carlson of the Gang Alternative Partnership, Douglas "Rusty" Bolton of Christian Emergency Relief Team and Barbara Scott, professor of nutrition education and research at the University of Nevada.

"The Rabbi, among the many things she is doing, is a boardmember of Witness for Peace, an international organization,' Hertling said. "She has first-hand experience at trying to make peace in war-tom countries.

She also is the director of Anytown, which gathers about 40 young teenagers and introduces them to issues of racial harmony. "It's a wonderful program." Segura was a participant in Anytown. He is an 18-year-old high school student.

He is currently a reporter for Hola, a student-driven program for public access television.

Hertling said those kids who produce the show reach into communities considered "at-risk."

Scott is the most recent recipient of the Thornton Peace Prize.

Bolton has been personally collecting medical supplies and sending them to Bosnia.

"He is a local construction worker who realized the need and by his own initiatives has approached local supply companies and hospitals for supplies that can be certainly used in emergency relief situations," Hertling said.

The recipe for peace was displayed at last year's "Meet the Peacemakers."

"Meet the Peacemakers of '97" will also include performances from local school children as they read their poetry and perform.

There will be a pre-show at 6:30 p.m. that will include a slide presentation of last year's event at Wingfield Park. The show will also include artwork.

Hertling said there were approximately 350 students participating last year.

"The idea behind the whole concept is very simple: Hertling said. "We want people coming to this event to see the steps in creating peaceful interpersonal concepts. We want them to present their stories and encourage those in the audience to become peacemakers as well."