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Hands of Peace News and Updates
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Our 2016 Summer Program is Underway!
Wednesday, July 13th was arrival day, and after a long day of delayed flights, we welcomed all of our 2016 participants to Chicago and San Diego! We are so excited to see this group of participants connect and grow with one another. Their energy is not only inspiring, but also encouraging.
We have already engaged in several activities, including lots of ice breakers, a high ropes course at both sites, writing workshops and a visit to Millennium Park in Chicago. We are keeping the participants busy with a flurry of activities in between their dialogue sessions! The dialogue groups are well under way, and all of the staff at both sites are actively working to ensure that the participants use their voices to become leaders of change!
Reflections from an Alumnus
Meet Adam Heffez - 2006 Participant, 2007 XL
 A decade ago, I joined Hands of Peace as a participant. Growing up in the idyllic northern suburbs of Chicago afforded me a life of comfort. But it did not invite me to develop a genuine curiosity and concern for our turbulent world. The Israeli and Palestinian peers I befriended during the program shrunk my world; it brought a conflict occurring thousands of miles away to my doorstep and, more importantly, my heart. No longer were suicide bombings, rocket attacks, and army raids in civilian areas distant acts of violence. These traumatic events were affecting my friends, and by extension, myself.
Hands of Peace catapulted me into global citizenry. I, like so many other fellow alumni, could no longer allow our comfortable lives to result in complacency. We knew and cared too much not to act as stewards of a better world. My personal journey after Hands of Peace led me to pursue an undergraduate degree in International Politics at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service. This included studying abroad in Jordan, where I lived with a Palestinian Muslim family. Some members of my Jewish community back home saw it as a reckless risk. I saw it as an eye opening experience and a chance to bridge divides that I previously believed to be intractable. While in Jordan, I volunteered for an organization called the Collateral Repair Project, which provided relief to Iraqi refugees of the U.S. War on Terror. My life was full of enriching contrasts: a Jew becoming part of a Muslim family, and an American facing the unintended consequence of my country's war.
After college, I was awarded a year-long leadership development fellowship in Israel. I embedded myself in a handful of nonprofits to develop their conflict resolution programs. My year culminated in publishing a book called
Words & Walls
, which tells the story of the conflict through political graffiti. The next step on my Hands of Peace-inspired path was to work as a Yemen and Syria researcher at a policy think tank. With the expertise I developed, I wrote analyses for publications such as
Foreign Affairs, The Jerusalem Post
, and
The Atlantic.
With the Middle East in political gridlock, I decided that the most tangible way for me to make a difference is through economic development. This led me to pursue an MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where I graduated earlier this year. My long-term professional goal is to ease suffering through private sector economic development in places full of despair like the Middle East.
Every summer, over eighty youths participate in Hands of Peace and harness the power of dialogue and connection across lines. They discover that the psychological barriers that divide us crumble easily when bridged by face to face dialogue. All that's left between my Hands of Peace friends after they go back to their war-torn homes are physical barriers -- walls that don't reflect how they feel about the "other" in their hearts. Multiplied many times over, these Israelis and Palestinians, supported by their American friends, will become one of this region's last remaining hopes.
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Chicago Updates and
Upcoming Events
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 Farewell Celebration
Sunday, July 31st -
6:00pm - 8:30pm
Glenbrook South High School
400 West Lake Ave., Glenview
P
l
e
as
e
joi
n
us at t
he
culmination
of our summer program, as we bring together our local community and supporters and gather to honor our 2016 participants.
Hear moving reflections, view powerful two-minute films, and learn first hand from the Israeli, Palestinian and American participants what Hands of Peace means to them.
The evening will also include tasting stations with a variety of hors d'oeuvres provided by local restaurants and a silent auction. Business casual attire is suggested.
Tickets are $35 and can be purchased by clicking here.
The hors d'oeuvres hour will take place in a "meet and mingle" format. If you prefer the convenience of a reserved table of 8, "Dove Sponsorships" are available for $500.
Tables can be purchased by clicking here.
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San Diego Updates and
Upcoming Events
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 Farewell Celebration
Sunday, July 31st -
6:00pm - 8:30pm
Temple Solel
3575 Manchester Ave., Cardiff by the Sea
P
l
e
as
e
joi
n
us at t
he
culmination
of our summer program, as we bring together our local community and supporters and gather to honor our 2016 participants.
Hear moving reflections, view powerful two-minute films, and learn first hand from the Israeli, Palestinian and American participants what Hands of Peace means to them.
The evening will also include a middle eastern buffet and a silent auction. Business casual attire is suggested.
Tickets are $35 and can be purchased by clicking here.
The hors d'oeuvres hour will take place in a "meet and mingle" format. If you prefer the convenience of a reserved table of 8, "Dove Sponsorships" are available for $500.
Tables can be purchased by clicking here.
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Summer Program Dates are
