Janessa Gans Wilder is the founder of Euphrates Institute. In response to the escalation of war in Israel and Gaza, Janessa is sharing her voice, her reflections and response.
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Daniel Epstein has been long involved in community service focused on reconciliation and dialogue across racial, religious, and ethnic communities. His work is propelled by his primary passions - helping others heal, bringing people of different faiths and cultures together, global travel, and photography. During his tenure at Procter & Gamble that he conducted most of the Portraits In Faith interviews.
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Compassion is the foundation of Sister Marilyn Lacey’s work. In a world witnessing great loneliness, overwhelmed by despair, suffering, divisiveness, and violence, Marilyn has felt the call to become engaged in spreading healing and hope. “I’ve always tried to live with compassion, believing we are all connected.”
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Jenny Canau and Zelda Ann Hintsa, joined our July Global Connections call to share their personal stories and provide us with a window into the healing work they are doing in their communities in South Africa. Jenny and Zelda are currently working to establish Peace and Healing Circles, an organization that focuses on the support of women (and eventually men) in their region in finding healing in various forms of self-care and personal and interpersonal peace practices
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Established in 2021, Culturing Peace grew from peacebuilder (and Peace Practice Alliance graduate) Rebecca Hoskyn’s inspiration to connect youth to peace leaders from around the world. Her vision was to facilitate regular discussions about relevant topics like racism, human rights, nonviolent communication, and both personal and global peace practices that would empower the next generation.
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James Okina is a social entrepreneur. He founded Street Priests Incorporated, a youth-led movement that aims to transform the lives of street children. After experiencing life on the streets as a child himself a complete turnaround inspired James to dedicate himself to helping young people in similar situations. James joined us this month to share his story and wisdom.
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We all have an Everest to climb. Our days, seasons, years bring us new challenges and opportunities - new Everests! These spaces are ripe for discovery as we explore new ways to practice peace amidst the challenges. Dr. Sara Safari is an author, speaker, mountain climber, college professor, electrical engineer, and advocate for women’s empowerment. She is the founder and president of a nonprofit called Climb Your Everest that focuses on empowering marginalized young women through educational programs. Sara is the first Iranian in history to climb the Seven Summits, the seven highest peaks in each continent.
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he month of April is marked in the United States as National Poetry Month. Creative arts has been a part of human expression for millenia. While poetry may simply be viewed as a form of creative writing or even entertainment, it can also play an important role in peacebuilding efforts. Poetry has the power to bring people of different cultural, religious or even political backgrounds together, to share stories and experiences that transcend cultural and linguistic barriers. Poetry can also be an opportunity for marginalized voices to be heard and for difficult issues to be addressed in a creative and non-violent manner.
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The Peace Practice Alliance holds space for individuals to deeply connect, learn, and reflect with fellow visionary leaders around the world to further their peace leadership practices. In this program, there are six modules that explore the practice of peace. This year’s cohort has moved through personal and interpersonal practices and are now into the community practice learning space. One of our participants, Salome, shared a deeply moving reflection on how we can collectively embody the practice of peace.
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Conflicts and violence are prevalent in many regions of the world with devastating impacts on women and girls. Women often bear the brunt of the suffering caused by conflict and must be included in peacebuilding efforts to ensure that their voices and needs are heard and addressed. Without the active participation of women, peace agreements and post-conflict reconstruction efforts are less likely to be successful and sustainable.
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Tahil Sharma is the Regional Coordinator for North America at the United Religions Initiative (URI), the world's largest interfaith network of grassroots communities, dedicated to establishing cultures of peace, justice, and healing in the world. Tahil's Hindu and Sikh background inspires his work for education, pluralism, and justice, working in local, regional, and international spaces for over a decade.
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Practicing an interconnected, holistic approach to transforming conflict, Muna Luqman sees possibility, emergence, and generative solutions for communities where others see despair. The ability to see the possibilities and her efforts to achieve them is what makes Muna Luqman our 2022 Visionary of the Year.
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Our October Community Call was a sacred space of reflection and insight. We were all moved by the stories and wisdom offered by our guests Ahmad Karimi, Ahmad Samizada, Ehsan Attiq, Hanifa, Zahra Reza, members of the Afghanistan Youth Empowerment and Peace-Building Organization currently living as refugees in Germany.
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Our September Community Call focused on the transformative role of music in negotiation and conflict resolution. Jonathan Dimmock and Angela Lee gifted us with deeply engaging and soul-inspiring music. We shared an experience together that I won't soon forget!
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Our July Community Call focused on peacebuilding in the Holy Land with Elias D'eis, Executive Director of Holy Land Trust. Euphrates' Founder, Janessa Wilder hosted an inspired conversation that explored Elias' journey as a Palestinian Christian living in the West Bank, a true testament to practicing peace and building community in the midst of extreme division, adversity, and conflict. With the heart of a peacemaker, Elias has an assuring presence and an inspired vision.
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Our June Community Call focused on Transformative Spaces for Healing with Dr. Tecla Namachanja Wanjala. We explored the wisdom of her heart and experience, honing in on how we care for ourselves deeply while caring for the community. We were thrilled to widen the reach of Tecla's voice. The wisdom shared helps us understand that we have everyday opportunities to practice peace together.
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In a recent WhatsApp exchange with Victor Garpulee, a peace leader from Liberia, I was struck by the sacred reciprocity of love and encouragement. In response to my observation of his compassionate leadership, Victor quickly responded “Because of you, we are.” Without hesitation, I replied, “We are because of you!” We are intertwined in our pursuit to be change makers and peace leaders.
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Our May Community Call focused on The Shared Vision of Sustainability and Peacebuilding. We hosted an insightful conversation with Patrick Arnold, Ismail Munyamu, and Caroline Odera. We explored the intersection of environmental issues and peacebuilding and how each of us has a role to play as agents of change.
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