The mission of the Nobel Peace Prize Festival is threefold:

• to teach young people about the Nobel Peace Prize and its influence on world peace


• to instill in young people the belief that peace is a concept to which everyone can and must contribute


• to teach that peace begins within and must be expressed in the family, in the school, in the community, in the country and in the whole world

The Nobel Peace Prize Festival is an expansion of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, an annual event affiliated with the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo, Norway. The Forum rotates between the five Norwegian/American affiliated colleges in the Midwest: Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN, Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, Luther College in Decorah, IA and St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. The Forum held its first annual event in 1988. The Festival, in response to the growing interest of involving children and youth, became a reality in 1996. The Festival coincides annually with the Forum and is held at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

With approximately 30 schools and youth groups participating each year, there has been an average of 700-800 children and youth attending from Peace Site schools and other youth groups. Counting their teachers, parents and other adults, a typical attendance has been between 1,000-1,200. World Citizen, Inc. has recruited the students from their Peace Site schools as well as other youth groups. Augsburg College has been the host for this wonderful event touching the lives of thousands of young people. The Norwegian Nobel Institute and the Nobel Peace Prize Forum have been supportive and encouraging over the years.

In the "Adopt-a-Laureate" program, each school chooses a Nobel Peace Prize recipient and studies the life and accomplishments of their peacemaker or organization. At the Festival, the students share their knowledge through displays, dramatic performances, music and dance.

Nobel Laureates and other dignitaries invited to the Forum also receive an invitation to participate in the Festival. Since 1996, the Festival has had the honor of welcoming the following Nobel Laureates and dignitaries: in 1996: Ambassador Yehuda Avner, Personal Consultant to Prime Minister Shimon Peres; in 1997: Professor Francis Calegra, Chair of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, Sandro Ionno, Executive Director of Student/Pugwash/USA and David Andersen, National Chapters Coordinator, Student Pugwash/USA; 1998: Laureate Jose Ramos-Horta of East Timor; in 1999: Gunnar StÂlsett, Bishop of Oslo, Norway and Member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Laureate Jody Williams and Steve Goose, representing the International Campaign to Ban Landmines; in 2000 and most other years: Dr. Geir Lundestad, Executive Director, Norwegian Nobel Institute; in 2001: Doctors without Borders, represented by Dr. Morton Rostrup, International president; in 2002: the Honorable Sung Chul Yang, Korean Ambassador to the United States, representing President Kim Dae-Jung and Dr. Olav Nj¯lstad, Director of Research for the Norwegian Nobel Institute; in 2003: Under Secretary Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, representing Laureate Kofi Annan and the United Nations.