Nayab and I brought in a keynote speaker from Amman, a co-founder of the youth awareness group ‘Haneen’. He presented a brief history of Palestine, explained the goals of Haneen and relayed his journey to activism.
Students also presented on various initiatives they have been a part of, such as ‘Seeds of Peace’, an international organization committed to instilling respect, tolerance and empathy in the next generation's world leaders, and ‘Peace Around the World’, a student club which works to raise awareness about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on campus. I also presented on Artsbridge and the challenges and obstacles that arise when working in conflict resolution and mediation.
The goal of the whole workshop was to stress the importance of instituting change through self-initiated, grassroots organizations and extra-governmental clubs. We wanted students to understand that being a part of a club, a conversation or even investing energy into just thinking about an issue is a step in the right direction.
One student reflected, "I saw how kids my age were able to be active in this 70-year-old conflict- the small steps they are taking are making a difference."
After the presentations, the workshop participants split into discussion groups. The groups reflected on the days activities and brainstormed ways in which they could be involved with promoting peace and spreading awareness on an individual, campus and global scale. We all came together in the end and created a massive list of thoughts and ideas from the day. It was wonderful to see so many students for this event on a weekend and in the midst of exams and homework assignments. The students were really engaged and productive and have helped us create a foundation for a series of workshops and inter-school conferences to come.
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