COE at the International Day of Peace in NYC
18 September 2013 - The United Nations marked the International Day of Peace with a call to invest in education that encourages children to embrace global citizenship based on the values of tolerance and diversity; and Children of the Earth representatives were engaged participants. To mark the day, COE recruited youth ambassadors, board members, and volunteers to serve as attendants for the annual Peace Bell ceremony. COE representatives acted as flag bearers representing the 193 United Nations. Children of the Earth ambassadors traveled from Nepal, Nigeria, Israel, and from all across America to join with members of the Vermont Chapter of COE, Diversity Rocks, in New York City.
Inside conference room number one, hundreds of youth from around the world gathered to listen as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, UN Messenger of Peace, Dr. Jane Goodall, UN Youth Champion, Monique Coleman and several other distinguished speakers cast the vision for quality education for all children across the world. Mr. Ban recalled the words of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl and youth activist shot by the Taliban for attending classes: "one teacher, one book, one pen, can change the world." He called on world governments to increase investments in education. Three COE representatives joined the panel of young people--sharing their projects for peace and calling to action world nations to join in efforts to reduce poverty, end hunger, recover wasted potential and build better societies for all.
