posted February 29, 2008
 Jose “Chencho” Alas |
The recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award (an award also bestowed on Mother Teresa), he has spent his life working for the development of humane living conditions in his native country, El Salvador, and other Central American countries.
During his country’s 12-year civil war beginning in 1980, repression and threats of assassination drove him and his brother into exile. In 1992, he returned to work for social justice and economic development for the Salvadoran people.
His independent, U.S.-based non-profit, FSSCA, was founded in 1996, and in 2000 the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding awarded Mr. Alas its Peace Activist Award "in recognition of his dedication to human rights, and notably for his efforts to preserve peace in El Salvador during the violent aftermath of its civil war."
Mr. Alas, now dedicated to the organization Sustainability and Peacemaking in Mesoamerica, reminded the students that the “most important beatitude” is “blessed are the peacemakers; they shall be called the sons and daughters of God.”
“I have been hearing about you,” he said in addressing the upper school, “about your high level of learning and your beautiful principles and values.” Gently, he spoke of the importance of “discovering others” and thereby discovering ourselves. “Think about others,” he said, “dream with them…dream of building something beautiful in your life.”
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