An Afternoon with Nobel Peace Prize Winner Rigoberta Menchu

Yesterday was truly an inspiring day for me. One, I got to meet legendary Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu, and two, I got to see the work of 100 students from Roosevelt High School and Hollenbeck Middle School who painted a “Peace in Action” mural as part of a service project to promote peace, unity and social justice. Menchu, who has been recognized throughout the world for her work on behalf of the indigenous people of Guatemala, was a delight, full of humility and keen insight. We were there to dedicate the mural, which was done through the Cesar Chavez Foundation as part of the LA Peace Collaborative, a larger, city wide project. The mural done by the young people was incredible, and it must have been truly inspiring for them to hear firsthand from Menchu, whose family suffered greatly due to violence, remain so committed to peace. It certainly inspired me.