Hands of Peace Marks 20 Years, hosts Farewell Celebration on July 24
After 20 years empowering Israeli, Palestinian and American youth to connect with each other and learn to become peacemakers, Hands of Peace will celebrate the close of another successful Summer Program on Sunday, July 24, at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook (2300 Shermer Road).
Teen participants from the U.S., Israel and Palestine will share their life-changing experiences and learnings in the organization's Farewell Celebration, closing out a summer of dialogue, bridge building, and leadership and peacekeeping skill development before they reenter their communities as agents of change.
The evening will include an Art for Peace exhibit featuring pieces created by Summer Program participants. There will also be a reception with "lite bites" and a program where the passionate youth will discuss their experiences, challenges and hopes for the future, as they join a growing network of more than 700 Hands of Peace alumni who are creating positive change in communities around the world.
The Farewell Celebration will be from 5 to 8 p.m. More information and ticket reservations can be found at https://handsofpeace.org/2022-farewell-celebrations/. Adult tickets are $35; youth 18 and under and all Hands of Peace alumni are free. Opportunities for sponsorship are also available at the link.
Visionary founder Gretchen Grad came up with the idea for Hands of Peace in the wake of 9/11, when she was looking for a way to bring needed peace to the world. She believed youth are the key, so she founded the dialogue-based organization in the Chicago suburbs in 2002. Since then, Hands of Peace has expanded in size, strength and scope, offering Summer Programs in Chicago and San Diego, alumni programs in Israel, Palestine and the United States and multi-narrative tours to Israel / Palestine for American youth and adults.
In addition to daily dialogue sessions led by professional facilitators, where participants explore peaceful solutions and foster understanding, the Hands of Peace Summer Program includes leadership-development and cultural-enrichment experiences, team-building events, and a field trip to Millennium Park and other Chicago sites, as the participants come together to find their voices as peacebuilders and global citizens. The participants live with local host families, as an important part of the transformative experience.
To learn more about Hands of Peace, visit www.handsofpeace.org.