The parents of an American teenager killed in one of the nation’s worst school shootings are hoping the international community will do more to end gun violence.

Manuel and Patricia Oliver visited the UN this week for a tour and briefing, part of their cross-country road trip visiting communities affected by mass shootings.  

Their son Joaquin, 17, was murdered in Florida’s Parkland high school shooting in February 2018 but lives on through their non-profit Change the Ref, which uses art and non-violent creative confrontation to raise awareness about mass shootings.

Dianne Penn spoke with the Olivers, who came to the UN through the Non-Violence Project Foundation, a non-governmental organization that has consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

John McKenna, US Country Director, began by providing an example of how art, activism, non-violence and peace, are linked here at UN Headquarters in New York.