When most of us think of global peace-making, we think of high-level politicians in back rooms; the UN Secretary-General flying in for a meeting; our president luring opposing parties to Camp David. Perhaps, if we are a bit more into people outside of the government making a difference in the world, we think of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, or the Dalai Lama. What we don’t usually think of is ordinary people from Denver or other cities in the US, deciding to get involved in a conflict halfway across the world, and actually making a difference.

However, that is exactly what numerous Americans, including a number of Denverites, have done. Organizations founded and headquartered in Denver, like Seeking Common Ground, which works with teens in the Middle East; PeaceJam, which educates our own Denver students in international conflicts that have spawned Nobel Peace Laureates, Project C.U.R.E, which is the biggest nongovernmental supplier of free medical supplies to conflict zones in the world. These organizations make a difference and inspire people both in other continents and close to home by providing Coloradoans a chance to volunteer with them.

The proliferation of these organizations has made Denver a hub for non-profits and NGOs, creating an atmosphere of creativity and compassion for all involved. This atmosphere has also attracted many international peace organizations to come to Denver to hold events or even make their home. This creates constant opportunities for Denverites to get involved, by volunteering, or simply by attending events and learning more about the different organizations. Some upcoming events include:

Speakers and forums will he held all week long from April 7-11th at CU-Boulder’s Sixtieth Annual Conference on World Affairs. All events are free and include information on most if not all of the internationally-focused nonprofits in the area.

DU’s International Student Organization will be holding their 25th Annual Festival of Nations from 12PM-5PM at the Driscoll Student Center (Evans & South Race). The Festival is the largest student-run organization on campus and includes presentations on over twenty student ethnic groups and several nonprofits including Seeking Common Ground, the Leadership Institute of New Sudan (LIONS), and HandCrafting Justice.

Invisible Children will be holding several private screenings of their documentary about Ugandan child-soldiers and the toll Uganda’s civil war is taking on the country’s children, with officers of the non-profit in attendance, throughout April, and May as part of their Spring Tour. To arrange a screening, call (619) 631-0362.