Who would have though that in just three short days our
minds and hearts could grow so much.
As we met in our usual spot in the morning for breakfast we
were, of course, excited for the day’s events, however there was an underlying
tone of melancholy, as we all knew that this adventure was coming to an end. To
lighten the mood, we stopped at Starbucks for some caffeine courage. Since the
closing ceremonies were the largest of all three days there was a lot of
traffic. This yielded the kid’s first lesson in Murphy’s Law for Travelers. We
tried to hail a cab, but there was a 20-minute wait and at least a 10-minute
commute to our venue. So, we had to walk over 1.5 miles to the venue! Good
thing we opted for an extra dose of caffeine!
As we were rushing toward the venue, we were all secretly
worrying that we wouldn’t make it on time and if we did, would we get good
seats? Would we miss an opportunity? Approaching the venue, we saw a large line
that extended all the way outside of the front entrance. We quickly established
a plan, shifted quickly through the security checkpoint, and headed into the
venue. Expecting to be one of the last to arrive, we realized as we entered
into the Opera House Theater, that the first rows were reserved for us. We
chose the second row from the stage.
(Second Row!)
We thought that the day couldn’t get much more surreal than
second row seats until Professor Ives waved us over to the other end of the
theater. “Come quickly,” he gestured. Like a flock of ducklings, our group
moved quickly not really knowing what to expect. As we approached Professor
Ives we quickly noticed that there was a small crowd of people near him- we
knew there was someone important. Before any of us could gather our thoughts,
we were being introduce to Nobel Laureate, Muhammad Yunus. He was so happy to
meet our students and so impressed that they fundraised the money to attend the
conference. He encouraged them to keep their interest in world issues and
thanked them for coming! As we retreated to our seats, the students were
glowing with excitement. Their energy was tangible- they were awestruck.
Muhammad Yunus
His Holiness the Dalai Llama, Betty Williams, Mairead
Maguire, and other dignitaries filled the room with their candor,
thoughtfulness, and passion. Words and phrases swirled about the theater. It
was as if we were witnessing the discovery of the anecdote for human suffering.
The laureates reached out specifically to the youth and since we were sitting
in the second row, our students shared some truly unforgettable moments.
As His Holiness turned to speak directly to the youth, his
eyes locked with our students. As he spoke, he maintained his position, never
wavering, with a conviction that was
palpable for the students. Betty Williams followed up by asking the students
directly if they had been involved with Peace Jam. Immediately their hands shot
into the air. Betty was honored to have “peace-jammers” in attendance at the
summit. Our students felt a direct sense of pride from this Nobel Laureate
herself.
The Dalai Llama
When the sessions had ended, we made a mad dash for the exit
in hopes of getting some more face time with laureates. We thought all was
lost, when Mairead Maguire and Mother Angus stepped into the hallway. Xavier
took a particular liking to Mother Angus and her story, so he took the
opportunity to introduce himself to her. The genuine happiness you see in the
photo radiated through all of us.
We had just one more session before the conference officially came to a close. The students were overwhelmed even to tears in some cases as they reflected on the past three days and just how much it has meant to them. The ceremony was moving, but even more poignant was the looks of incredible determination and confidence I saw on the students faces as they exited the theater. I knew in that moment that they had been deeply empowered and inspired. As an educator, it is a moment like this that I will remember vividly to remind myself continuously of the capacity of my students.
Closing Ceremony
Last dinner in Warsaw!
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