CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Peace activist Elizabeth Kucinich will speak at the West Virginia Student Union this evening. Her talk, "Practical Peace: Living Better," will begin at 7 p.m.

At 18, Kucinich traveled to India from her home in England to work in one of Mother Teresa's poorest orphanages. Since then, Kucinich has worked for humanitarian projects on five continents.

"I want to talk about how people can focus on peace in their own lives, as well as on the larger concept," Kucinich said Wednesday.

"People need to relate to their own health, their own diet, their own lifestyles, thinking about their relationship with nature."

Last week, Kucinich attended a gathering of indigenous people in Lillooet, a small town in British Columbia's mountains.

"Three days of ceremonies and teaching helped us understand indigenous people's perspectives about the earth, environment and climate change.

"An elder from Greenland told us the ice in Greenland was five kilometers thick when he was born. Now, it is only two kilometers thick."

Today, rising temperatures melt ice so rapidly that Greenland's rivers no longer freeze.

"I value not only scientific understanding," Kucinich said, "but the innate awareness of people whose families have lived on the land for tens of thousands of years. The world needs to start looking to them for understanding."

Kucinich believes every individual can help slow climate change.

"We have to look toward ourselves and see how our diets affect the climate and our personal health.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Peace activist Elizabeth Kucinich will speak at the West Virginia Student Union this evening. Her talk, "Practical Peace: Living Better," will begin at 7 p.m.

At 18, Kucinich traveled to India from her home in England to work in one of Mother Teresa's poorest orphanages. Since then, Kucinich has worked for humanitarian projects on five continents.

"I want to talk about how people can focus on peace in their own lives, as well as on the larger concept," Kucinich said Wednesday.

"People need to relate to their own health, their own diet, their own lifestyles, thinking about their relationship with nature."

Last week, Kucinich attended a gathering of indigenous people in Lillooet, a small town in British Columbia's mountains.

"Three days of ceremonies and teaching helped us understand indigenous people's perspectives about the earth, environment and climate change.

"An elder from Greenland told us the ice in Greenland was five kilometers thick when he was born. Now, it is only two kilometers thick."

Today, rising temperatures melt ice so rapidly that Greenland's rivers no longer freeze.

"I value not only scientific understanding," Kucinich said, "but the innate awareness of people whose families have lived on the land for tens of thousands of years. The world needs to start looking to them for understanding."

Kucinich believes every individual can help slow climate change.

"We have to look toward ourselves and see how our diets affect the climate and our personal health.

"It takes up to 36 pounds of grain to produce one pound of ground beef. And how many thousands of liters of water does it take to produce that pound of beef?

"We can very, very easily feed the world if we change our diets. I am not saying everyone has to become a vegan. But if we change our diets in minor ways, we can make a very large impact," she said.

Kucinich also plans to talk about world peace.

"Our own mentality and actions create situations in places like Afghanistan and Pakistan. Remember how much bombing the United States did along the borders of Pakistan in 2006? Our leaders called the deaths of a few women and children and villages 'collateral damage.'

"It was against international law to send missiles into a nation where we had not even declared war," she said.

"Today, people who lost family members are more susceptible to groups like the Taliban. A threat has come about because of our own lack of awareness."

Kucinch earned a bachelor's degree in religious studies and a master's in international relations at the University of Kent in Canterbury.

As a British Red Cross volunteer, Kucinich spent 16 months in a small Tanzanian village in rural Africa. For many years, she worked with the Forum for Stable Currencies at the House of Lords in London.

Her interest in monetary reform brought her to the United States, where she met and married Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, in 2005.

Seneca 2, West Virginia State's political science department and West Virginia Patriots for Peace are co-sponsoring this evening's event.

Kucinich will also attend a vegan potluck dinner at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation between 4 and 5 p.m. at 520 Kanawha Blvd. W. in Charleston.

Reach Paul J. Nyden at pjny...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5164.