English 1311 Memo: CREATIVITY FOR PEACE

Creativity for Peace is a program founded in 2003 by psychotherapist Rachel Kaufman and artist Debra Sugerman. These programs develop the understanding of respecting each other and it focuses on “ developing the next generation of female leaders and peacemakers in Israel and Palestine.” Their primarily mission is to bring adolescent girls and women, rather than boys, together to take important and significant roles in their own families and communities that advance peaceful coexistence. This society includes a summer camp in New Mexico, home country gatherings, some training, and offers academic scholarships, which is also part of their mission, “to nurture the next generation of women leaders in the middle East” and it supports four young women who are attending school in the West Bank, Palestine. It offers up to eight summers of camp containing one hundred sixty-two girls who participate in these summer camps. Muslim, Christians, Jewish and Druze campers between fifteen and twenty five years old are contributing the programs, but some special rules are needed to be selected for the team, such as filling applications, references, and an interview.  A certain amount of money is required to pay for each member of the team. These summer camps have been opened since 2003. Girls participate in ten-thirteen three-hour dialogues. These Dialogues are approximately a year and need of trainings in Israel and Palestine. The main purpose of these dialogues is to help girls develop trust, their compassion, to increased self-esteem, and mainly to develop communication and leaderships skills. Later the program invites young leaders to serve as junior counselors for the summer peace camp in New Mexico. The programs are staffed by professional people, which includes; counselors, art therapists, and dialogue facilitators. Also an extensive number of volunteers contribute in these programs. Contributions from private foundations are used to support Creativity for Peace.

Many other similar programs are opened in the United States, such as; United States Institute of Peace. USIP provides the analysis and the training to prevent conflicts and resolve violent international conflicts. Also contributes similar activities most recently in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Colombia, The Palestinian Territories, and more. These involve meditating and facilitating dialogue among parties in conflict, and educating the public through events, films, and radio programs. Primarily this two program’s mission is to fight violation, or bring people together to contribute positive roles beginning in their own families and communities.

Creativity for Peace offers programs to volunteer and participate in many successful activities, and the great example is the summer camps that only girls are welcome to participate.  Not only members of the summer camp are involved but also volunteers are needed for preparing meals, laundry, driving, shopping for workshops, hosting a home reception, and many other options. Volunteers are also good for preparing and serving special events, creating gift for campers, and more (not necessarily need to be creative).

The organization “Creativity for Peace” provides any of its information to only women, either teenage girls or older women around twenty-five year olds.  It also gives information for those who will like to donate. In the donors section it gives information about the summer camp payments and expenses to kind of give the idea of the cost that will belong to each member. If one is interested in this organization the best way to view information is by going to http://www.creativityforpeace.com/index.html and in this same website one can go to contact information and get information from some of the organizers  of the community.