Hands of Peace kicks off its in-person San Diego Summer Program on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, with 35 American, Israeli, and Palestinian teens coming together for three weeks of dialogue, conflict resolution and leadership training. Due to the COVID pandemic, this is the first Summer Program since 2019.
The three-week flagship Summer Program, July 6-25, 2022, is a powerful, unifying experience that starts “Hands” on their journey to create positive social change. In intense dialogue sessions led by professional facilitators, Summer Program participants learn about “the other,” they share complicated and sometimes painful stories about the conflict or experiences in their communities and explore peaceful solutions to foster equality, freedom, and justice. Summer Program participants build bridges and leadership skills, as they take part in activities throughout the San Diego area including visits to a church, synagogue, and mosque. The high school students, who come from widely varied backgrounds and cultures, commit to forging a connection and finding common ground, as they work to break down the walls of conflict in the Middle East and throughout the world.
In addition to the participants in the San Diego program this year, there are 36 youth in the Chicago Summer Program, also beginning July 6. Following the Summer Program, Hands of Peace alumni continue to grow as peace leaders, taking part in skill-building seminars and leadership programs in the U.S. and Middle East.
The program is followed by a reception on Sunday, July 24 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at La Costa Canyon High School, with “lite bites” created by Flor Franco. Franco has served as the Executive Chef for several award-winning venues and restaurants, two Sundance Film Festivals, one Conde Nast dinner, hundreds of the world’s best events, and has had the honor of designing and executing menus for Hollywood elite, dignitaries and national political figures.
About Hands of Peace
Hands of Peace empowers American, Israeli, and Palestinian youth to become agents of change. The non-profit 501(c)(3) interfaith organization was founded in the shadow of 9/11 by Gretchen Grad in Chicago, Illinois, in 2002. The first Summer Program was held in Chicago in 2003. Since then, Hands of Peace has expanded in size, strength, and scope with Summer Programs in Chicago and San Diego, alumni programs in Israel, Palestine, and the US, and multi-narrative tours to the Middle East for American youth and adults. Today, there are more than 700 Hands of Peace alumni leading change around the world. For more information, go to www.handsofpeace.org.
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