A city's legacy of peace-seeking endures

"The Peace Accords stopped a war, but it didn't create a nation," says Mr. Young. Much is being done behind the scenes, and hope remains high, but peace "is a very complicated process."

What happened between Dayton and Bosnia after the accords were reached is especially noteworthy. In looking for ways to keep the "spirit of Dayton" alive, community members established citizen-to-citizen relationships with Bosnians through cultural and educational exchanges, trade missions, and international conferences between policymakers and government officials. Dayton also arranged a sister-city agreement with Sarajevo and hosted a "Concert for Peace" with the Sarajevo and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestras.

"We are 5,000 miles away and made a difference among people no one ever heard of, and almost no one knew what was going on there," says Commissioner Joseph. "We were chosen, and we took up the cause. That really makes me proud. It is the power of the community."

Community leaders created the Dayton Peace Prize in 1999 to recognize individuals who contributed to the peaceful reconstruction of a society torn apart by war. A stipend of $25,000 goes to each recipient, who agrees to donate the money to a charity in the Balkans. The award, which is not given every year, went to President Bill Clinton in 2000 and philanthropist George Soros in 2002.

This year, Daytonians set up a new award, the Peacemaker Prize, which they will present to Farida Musanovic for her role in establishing a humanitarian program in Bosnia and Herzegovina through Women for Women International (www.womenforwomen.org), dedicated to improving the lives of women survivors of war.

"The Dayton Peace Accords represented one of the most important international endeavors for peace in a conflict that had global implications," says DAPP chairwoman Doris Ponitz. "Nearly a decade after the signing of the peace accords, the Dayton community is committed to exploring ways to celebrate peace."

Other observances of the Dayton Accords this year included a peace education seminar and an interfaith worship service and roundtable discussion (sponsored in part by the recently opened Dayton International Peace Museum), which included religious leaders from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The $200,000 cost was raised through ticket sales and donations. Local philanthropists donated money for the Peace Prize and Peacemaker Award.

"We're a large, small town," says Thomas Lasley, DAPP vice chair and dean of the School of Education and Allied Professions at the University of Dayton. "Communication is easily accomplished between and among groups."

Dayton's commitment to peacemaking is the work of countless volunteers whose motivation is best summed up by Young, who participated in the candlelight vigils 10 years ago and is still involved today: "Why do I do this? Because peace in our country and the world has to be a priority."

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