| Posted: April 29 2005,12:54 |
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PROGRESS: Has your organization seen
progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of
action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade? |
Events
of the last few years—including the September 11th attacks and the wars
in Afghanistan and Iraq—have been trying for those of us who are
committed to peace and nonviolence. However, Global Kids, Inc.
has seen signs of progress among our constituents, urban youth and
educators in New York City. One indicator is the increased demand for
our programs, which educate young people about complex global issues,
provide training in leadership and social action, and inspire efforts
to influence the decision-making process. Indeed, we are heartened by
the growing recognition by youth, educators, policymakers, and funders
of the importance of peace education and global engagement. Moreover,
the young people with whom we work are themselves increasingly
determined to engage their peers in exploring and implementing
strategies for assuring peace and a sustainable future.
Global
Kids uses a number of indicators to assess the effectiveness of our
programs. These are both quantitative and qualitative. We
consider skills, knowledge, and the level of interest and involvement
in activities, including peer outreach and training conducted by the
participants in our Power of Citizenry Leadership Program. In countless
forums and events, these young people have demonstrated their
commitment to understanding issues of deadly violence, to exploring
peaceful solutions to conflict, and to staking out a place for the
voices of urban youth on the international stage. In the past
five years, they have organized and led youth conferences on a range of
issues, including Human Rights, Racism and Discrimination, Global
Unity, War and Peace, and Global Health; led campaigns to promote equal
access to education and comprehensive sex education; engaged their
peers worldwide in online dialogues about current events; and educated
thousands of their peers (and their teachers), in New York City and at
sites across the US and abroad.
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OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?
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While
Global Kids has been successful in providing venues through which youth
can learn, develop skills, and express their opinions, overall, young
people still have too few opportunities to make their voices heard
about important global issues. Particularly in New York City, where
many students and educators directly experienced the attacks on
September 11, 2001, there continues to be limited access to quality
international education and youth development programs. This situation
is compounded by a reticence on the part of many educators who feel
unprepared to teach peace and contemporary affairs or are under
tremendous pressure to focus on the traditional academic subjects and
standardized tests.
Of great concern are young people’s frequent
expressions of fear and hopelessness in the face of the violent nature
of world events. On the other hand, we find that young people respond
with eagerness to opportunities to explore these issues in a safe and
caring environment and then find ways to educate and inspire others to
take action. For example, in the wake of the September 11 attacks
and subsequent anti-Muslim violence, a team of Global Kids—-African
Americans, Middle Easterners, South Asians, and others-- designed and
conducted a series of workshops to counter stereotypes about Arabs and
Muslims. Countless other projects followed, all aiming to engage
young people in promoting human rights, peaceful solution to conflict,
and democracy.
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ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
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Forthcoming.
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ADVICE: What advice would you like to
give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a
culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade? |
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PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and
networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the
global movement for a culture of peace? |
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PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)? |
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Postal address of organization
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E-mail address of organization
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Website address of organization
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Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Second priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Highest priority country of action (or international)
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Second priority country of action (or international)
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