By Marlene McTigue
Capital Region Independent Media
GREENVILLE — Liana Lekocevic, the recipient of an inaugural Greenville Rotary Club scholarship in 2024, recently returned from a transformative journey aboard the Peace Boat, a global initiative focused on climate change awareness, peacebuilding, and cultural exchange.
Her voyage from Mexico to Alaska on the Japan-based Peace Boat provided firsthand experiences of the devastating effects of climate change and is inspiring her to take action within her local community and abroad.
The group’s findings and scientific experiments were submitted to the United Nations.
A TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEY
“You hear about global warming, but when you meet people who are losing their homes, it becomes real,” Lekocevic said.
The Peace Boat brought her face-to-face with individuals directly impacted by climate change, including people from small island developing states (SIDS), whose lands are disappearing due to rising sea levels.
“One of the people I met was from Grenada, and while she was traveling to join the Peace Boat, her island was being hit by a hurricane,” Lekocevic said. “Half of it was destroyed, and she couldn’t contact her family for three days.”
During her journey, she witnessed the dramatic effects of climate change, including glaciers calving into the sea.
“You hear, ‘Oh, the glaciers are melting,’ but to actually see it and hear it crumbling and cracking is something else. It’s heartbreaking,” she said.
Reflecting on the beauty and tragedy of the Arctic landscape, she added, “People on the boat were saying, ‘Oh, look at the waterfall, it’s so pretty.’ But it’s not supposed to be there,” Lekocevic said, referring to how the melting glaciers were creating waterfalls that had not previously been seen.
A CALL TO ACTION
Now back in New York, Lekocevic is determined to share what she learned with her community.
“I’m planning to try to do community events to inform people in a way that appeals to this area,” she said.
Recognizing that local audiences might not respond well to outside perspectives, she emphasized the importance of relatable storytelling.
“As someone who grew up here, I feel I can connect with the community and share what I’ve learned firsthand,” she said.
One idea she hopes to bring to life involves engaging children in environmental education through interactive activities.
“There’s a card game I encountered abroad that teaches kids about carbon emissions. It’s called ‘Kelp in Hand,’ and it helps people understand the impact of their actions in a creative way,” she explained.
CONNECTING CLIMATE CHANGE TO PEACE
Lekocevic’s journey also reinforced the link between environmental sustainability and global peace.
“A green planet is a happy planet, and a happy planet is a peaceful planet,” she said.
Reflecting on the broader implications of climate change, she added, “If we don’t have enough resources to support the population, nations will start fighting for those resources. That creates more tension and less peace.”
During her time on the Peace Boat, she met survivors of the World War II bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and learned about the effects of Cold War-era nuclear testing in the U.S.
“We watched a play by someone from Nevada who was affected by the nuclear bomb tests. Her town was devastated by radiation, and people didn’t realize the impact until later. It was heartbreaking,” she said.
THE ROTARY CONNECTION
The Greenville Rotary Club made Lekocevic’s journey possible through their scholarship program.
Diane Weisbeck, a member of the Rotary Club who spearheaded the scholarship, expressed her pride in Lekocevic’s accomplishments. The scholar produced a three-minute video that shared her experiences on the Peace Boat and throughout her travels in Manzanillo, Mexico; Vancouver, Canada; and Alaska, USA.
“Everyone was incredibly impressed. After her video we all spent time asking her questions about her experience. I looked around the room and I could see the pride in every Rotarian’s eyes, knowing that through our local Rotary scholarship, we made this life-changing journey happen for Liana,” Weisbeck said. “We know Liana will create positive change for the world.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Lekocevic is preparing for her next global adventure: teaching English in South Korea.
“I’m currently getting my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification and working as a substitute teacher in my hometown school district to prepare for this,” she said.
Having studied abroad in Seoul during her junior year, she is eager to return.
“I had the best time when I was there before. It’s a very clean, vibrant place with nice people and amazing food.”
Her Peace Boat journey, however, will continue to shape her path.
“Meeting people and seeing the pain on their faces made the urgency of climate change real for me. Now I want to share what I’ve learned and inspire others to take action,” she said.
Read about the beginning of Liana’ journey here: https://theupstater.com/greenville-pioneer/good-news-historic-collaboration-peace-boat-rotary-and-a-local-scholar-embark-on-global-voyage/.
Editor’s Note: Liana Lekocevic is the daughter of Greenville Pioneer editor Melanie Lekocevic.
