How can we end cycles of violence?
I've recently been inspired by my work with a summer camp called Project Common Bond for youth who have lost a family member to an act of terrorism or political violence. Youth come together from all over the world and both connect with one another, healing from their losses and are empowered to imagine and work towards a different reality where these acts of violence do not exist.
I was incredibly impressed with these young people who had endured the most heinous of travesties--the loss of a loved one and consequently a loss of safety, security and stability. Some had even been the recipients or witnesses of direct violence. And yet, I saw youth from Pakistan, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, and the United States among others think creatively together about what they can do to work towards a new reality. I think sometimes what is needed, in addition to role models, is to simply turn it back to the youth and ask "what do you think?" and "what can you do?" since all too often youth voices are marginalized. Instead, we can encourage youth to think about their own power and possibility.
One American 14-year-old related to our group the story of when her teacher had told the class that all Arabs and Muslims were evil and that Islam was a religion of hate. The young woman expressed her frustration at her perceived inability to do anything, recognizing the power dynamics and the fact that this teacher had the ability to fail her in the class. As a group, we brainstormed her options and she outlined steps she could take both in future situations and the conversation she could have with this teacher now that the woman no longer holds the same power over her. One thing this amazing young woman said to me stood out:
"You would think that we of anyone [families who lost loved ones in 9/11] would hate, but we don't. We recognize that all people in a group or a religion are not represented by the actions of a few extremists. How could my teacher say that?"
The motto of Project Common Bond is "Let Our Past Change the Future" and I'm a little more confident now that it will...
I was incredibly impressed with these young people who had endured the most heinous of travesties--the loss of a loved one and consequently a loss of safety, security and stability. Some had even been the recipients or witnesses of direct violence. And yet, I saw youth from Pakistan, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, and the United States among others think creatively together about what they can do to work towards a new reality. I think sometimes what is needed, in addition to role models, is to simply turn it back to the youth and ask "what do you think?" and "what can you do?" since all too often youth voices are marginalized. Instead, we can encourage youth to think about their own power and possibility.
One American 14-year-old related to our group the story of when her teacher had told the class that all Arabs and Muslims were evil and that Islam was a religion of hate. The young woman expressed her frustration at her perceived inability to do anything, recognizing the power dynamics and the fact that this teacher had the ability to fail her in the class. As a group, we brainstormed her options and she outlined steps she could take both in future situations and the conversation she could have with this teacher now that the woman no longer holds the same power over her. One thing this amazing young woman said to me stood out:"You would think that we of anyone [families who lost loved ones in 9/11] would hate, but we don't. We recognize that all people in a group or a religion are not represented by the actions of a few extremists. How could my teacher say that?"
The motto of Project Common Bond is "Let Our Past Change the Future" and I'm a little more confident now that it will...
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