Three Dot Dash®, a global initiative of the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) designed to recognize and support the efforts of teen leaders around the world, will hold its first annual Just Peace Summit in New York City from March 29 - April 4, 2008. Carefully selected Global Teen Leaders from around the world will unite at this weeklong summit to share experiences from their efforts to promote a more peaceful society by addressing issues related to the basic human needs—food, water, health, shelter, safety and education—learn how to communicate their global message through creative communications and collaborate on a multi-platform public service campaign that will be distributed globally to promote their work.

The 2008 Three Dot Dash® Global Teen Leaders are between the ages of 12-19 and represent 18 countries and 5 continents around the world. They were nominated by a coalition of more than 40 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other qualified organizations that have agreed to help build and sustain the Three Dot Dash® initiative. From health education initiatives to programs that help combat the climate crisis and entrepreneurial agriculture models that give young women in Kenya an alternative to prostitution—the individual Teen Leaders have birthed projects that will help promote positive change and peace.

The Summit will kick off with an opening event on March 29th that will include a conversation with Ishmael Beah, author of A Long Way Gone and Ian Stewart, AP reporter and author of Ambushed, a War Reporter's Life on the Line. The ceremony will set the tone for a week of open communication, understanding and powerful story telling.

Throughout the course of the 2008 Just Peace Summit, each of the thirty Global Teen Leaders will be mentored by Three Dot Dash® instructors led by Nile Rodgers musician, producer and founder of WAFF. Joining the team will be thought leaders from a variety of disciplines and will include The Perfect Storm author Sebastian Junger, famed Vanity Fair photographer Teun Voeten, Oscar nominated Jamal Joseph, Chairman of Columbia University's Graduate Film Division and Derrick Ashong, activist, entrepreneur, and actor, featured in "Amistad." These volunteers will provide guidance and help the Teen Leaders hone their communication and creative skills during the Summit. Additionally, at the end of the week each teen leader will have created a PSA that will help further their individual projects while amplifying their collective message of peace. Consumers will have the opportunity to donate funds to the Teen Leaders' peace projects at www.threedotdash.org.

About Three Dot Dash®
Three Dot Dash® is a global peace initiative of the We Are Family Foundation designed to recognize and support Global Teen Leaders around the world who are dedicating their lives to promote a more peaceful society by addressing issues related to basic human needs. The movement is creating a worldwide network of individuals, corporations and nonprofit organizations to further the efforts of these young leaders by harnessing the power of media, mentoring, and social networking to foster public participation around the globe. Three Dot Dash® was inspired by the late 13-year-old poet and peacemaker Mattie J.T. Stepanek, well known from his six New York Times best selling "Heartsongs" poetry books expressing universal messages of hope and peace. After Mattie's death in 2004, his last book, Just Peace: A Message of Hope, written with Jimmy Carter, was published and became WAFF's inspiration for Three Dot Dash®.

About We Are Family Foundation
The "We Are Family Project" began in response to the tragic events of September 11th. Legendary songwriter/producer Nile Rodgers and Tommy Boy Music president, Tom Silverman gathered 200 celebrities on the weekend of September 22nd to re-record Nile's world renowned hit song "We Are Family" to commence the healing process. The recording sessions that weekend again proved the song's power to give hope and allow people to feel better through an uplifting beat and a message of unity. The event was captured on film as a documentary by director Danny Schechter entitled The Making and Meaning of We Are Family and a music video by director Spike Lee. Nile had no idea that the hit song he and his late music partner Bernard Edwards wrote for Sister Sledge in 1979 would be a part of history again by helping to bring people together and give hope that we can live together in a peaceful world. The We Are Family Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization was formed in 2002 to promote diversity, understanding, respect and the vision of a global family. For more information on the foundation, visit www.wearefamilyfoundation.org.

About Three Dot Dash® Coalition Partners
WAFF thanks the Three Dot Dash® coalition and corporate sponsors for their partnership and spirit: 92ndStreet Y, AFS Intercultural Programs, Alliance For A New Humanity, Americans for Informed Democracy, American Jewish World Service, Anti-Defamation League, Ashoka, Asia Society, Bright Media, Building with Books, Children and Broadcasting Foundation for Africa, CHINH, Culture Project, Echoing Green, Friendship Ambassadors Foundation, Inc., Gibson Foundation, Give to Colombia, Global Kids, Inc., Global Nomads Group, Global Peace Hut, Global Peace Initiative of Women, Global Youth Action Network, iEarn-USA, IMPACT Repertory Theatre, International Children's Digital Library Foundation, International Debate Education Association, International Youth Foundation, The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, Journeys for Peace, Listen Up!, Mattie J.T. Stepanek King Farm Foundation, One World Youth Project, Public-Private Alliance Foundation, Symphonia, TakingITGlobal, The Tomorrow Trust UN Programme on Youth, UNA-USA, UNESCO, Urban Farming, US Fund for UNICEF, Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship, WITNESS, Workers World Media Productions, Youth Bridge-NY, Youth