Augsburg College festival honors peacemaking

Since 1996, the festival has been held at Augsburg to teach the significance of the Nobel Peace Prize and inspire youth to work toward peace in their homes, communities and beyond. Students share what they've learned about Peace Prize recipients through displays, art, music and dance.

"It's particularly important to let students know about all of the good work that's being done in the world," Augsburg political science Prof. Joe Underhill said, "and to get them to think about alternatives for who their heroes and role models are."

The festival is an expansion of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, an annual event affiliated with the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo, Norway, that rotates among the five Norwegian-American affiliated colleges in the Midwest.

This year, both the forum and the festival are at Augsburg.

More than 600 students from 19 metro schools, ranging from elementary to high school, are participating this year. With parents and community members included, about 1,000 people are expected to attend. The 2008 Nobel Peace Prize winner will be there, as well as the director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, Dr. Geir Lundestad.

The forum and festival will honor 2008 Nobel Peace Laureate Martti Ahtisaari. The former president of Finland, Ahtisaari has strived to resolve international conflicts by serving for more than three decades in Namibia, Kosovo and Indonesia. In 2000, he founded the nonprofit Crisis Management Initiative. Today, Ahtisaari chairs the independent commission examining the pros and cons of Turkey's possible membership in the European Union.

In honor of Ahtisaari's attendance, several of the performances will have a Finnish flavor, including the Evergreen School of Performing Arts' Singing Strings' performance of "Suomen Laulu."

For more information, go to www.nobelpeaceprizefestival.org.