The Peacebuilding Project is an organization dedicated to Conflict Resolution, Peacemaking, and Humanitarian Action. We aim to educate and empower communities to explore effective ways of responding to conflict and violence. Our mission is provide the necessary training and skills for people to adopt the tools of peacebuilding in their everyday lives. The project offers groups such as Rohingya refugees, the most persecuted minority in the world, an opportunity to become agents of change and produce a tangible impact on their society. Refugees have been the first-hand witnesses of the harmful and destructive consequences of extreme violence. Generations have grown up victimized, without an education, bearing a sense of hopelessness. We want to ensure that we break this cycle, and that refugees become not only passive recipients of humanitarian assistance, but the leading advocates for peace. We believe that education and awareness go hand-in-hand with community service. We do this through: (1) Community Outreach Programs- Volunteering at partner organizations providing humanitarian services that focus on the empowerment of refugees. - In Chicago, we organize donation drives and community dinners for Syrian refugees. - In India, we train Rohingya youth and support them through school and university. Our volunteers work as teachers in a Rohingya Literacy Program and hostel for children, and provide them with the opportunities and tools to drive their future and lead a life of dignity. - We educate both the trainers as well as the beneficiaries, through workshops on conflict resolution, multi-track diplomacy, strategic negotiation, English language and computer skills, leadership, and women empowerment. This is done in the hope that one day they will be able to return to their homes and advocate for their rights and duties in a constructive, informed and peaceful way. (2) Academic Training- We have conducted workshops and training programs on the following at the University of Chicago to educate the youth about peace processes: - Conflict Transformation & Mediation - Women in Peace & Security - Religion and Peacebuilding - Israeli-Palestinian coexistence - Interfaith Dialogue - War, Exile and Refugees The Peacebuilding Project has grown substantially in the last year precisely because of partnerships and building networks with organizations working on diverse Sustainable Development Goals. Our challenge now is to deepen those partnerships, develop meaningful relations, and unite with others working on SDGs to present a stronger and more holistic approach to building and sustaining peace. https://sdgactionawards.org/initiative/2312
