Thirty teen leaders from around the world came together in New York City this week. The youths represent 18 countries on five continents, and come from a diverse range of cultures and backgrounds. Despite their differences, they all share one simple message: Just Peace.

The teens are taking part in the first-ever Just Peace Summit, hosted by the We Are Family Foundation. The summit, which runs from March 29 to April 4, kicks off the foundation's Three Dot Dash campaign. The global campaign gives yearlong support to a carefully selected group of youths who are working for positive change in the world.

Musician Nile Rodgers is the founder of We Are Family. He says the goal of Three Dot Dash is to help young leaders take their projects to the next level by not only giving them funds, but by giving them the tools they need to bring widespread attention to their work. "There are so many teen leaders out there who don't have the opportunity to spread their messages as effectively as they can," Rodgers told TFK. "We believe that if we just give them the (right) training, we can help them expand their voices."

A Lasting Legacy
Three Dot Dash got its name from Morse code and a common gesture meaning peace. In Morse code, three dots and one dash stand for V. Many people use a two-fingered V to symbolize peace. The campaign was inspired by the late 13-year-old poet and peacemaker Mattie J.T. Stepanek. Mattie suffered from a rare form of muscular dystrophy, an incurable disease that weakens a person's muscles. Some people who have the disorder must use a wheelchair to get around. Mattie never let the disorder stop him from speaking out about the need for peace and global tolerance.

The summit was named in honor of Mattie's last collection of poems, Just Peace: A Message of Hope. The book was written with former President Jimmy Carter and published after Mattie's death in 2004. "Mattie's last book dealt with the concept of peace being an action word," Rodgers explains. "Mattie was wise beyond his years and incredibly caring. I hadn't met many people like him until I encountered this group at the summit."

Speaking Their Peace
This year's global teen leaders range in age from 12 to 19. They are advocates for a variety of different world causes, from raising awareness of climate change to raising funds to aid developing nations.

During the summit, participants will be able to share their experiences with other youth leaders. They will be matched with adult mentors who will advise them throughout the year. The teens will also attend workshops on writing, public speaking, film, photography and music. The sessions teach students how to creatively spread the word.

Luke Christie, a teen leader from South Carolina, has enjoyed the workshops. Like Mattie, the 14-year-old suffers from a form of muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair to get around. Also like Mattie, Luke has turned his disability into something positive by raising awareness and funds to find a cure for the disease. He says the summit has encouraged him to stay focused. "It has provided everybody here with a new hope," he says.

Dylan Mahalingam agrees. Dylan, 12, is the youngest summit youth leader. His project, called "Lil' MDGs," seeks to educate and empower kids to do their part in achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations. One of the goals is to cut world poverty in half by 2015. "I know the summit is going to make a huge difference in how my work is done," Dylan says.

Lessons Learned
Although the purpose of the summit is to help inspire and educate the teens, Rodgers admits that the adult mentors are learning just as much from their mentees. "When we first started this, I said, 'I bet we're going to be really shocked at what we learn,'" he says. "It was the biggest understatement of my life."

So what would Mattie think if he were still here? "I didn't know Mattie personally, but I definitely know that he would be proud of the work he's accomplished," says Janet Tso, 17, of Connecticut. Since 2004, Janet has been working to expose the abuse of modern-day slaves-people who do hard labor for little or no pay.

Janet says learning about Mattie and everyone's projects has inspired her to become a better leader. "There are 30 amazing teen leaders here who are promoting peace with their projects," Janet told TFK. "That's what Mattie wanted. Just peace."

"Peace is possible," adds Luke. "And we're going to make it happen."