peacefirstorg-blog

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Interview with a Peacemaker: Ryan Traynor

We have selected nine new Peace First Fellows! These Fellows were selected because of their leadership focused on making lasting social change in their communities by connecting across lines of difference with compassion, standing up for others and ideals with courage, and creating collaborative change by leading with others.

1. 5 words to describe yourself – GO! Creative, Friendly, Funny, Leader, Intelligent

2. Current phone background My brother and I on a ski trip when we were younger.

3. Dogs or Cats? Dogs

4. Last thing you googled? Sin versus Cos graphs

5. If you could be any supernatural creature, what would it be? A dragon

6. When are you most productive? Late night or at the last minute

7. Favorite TV show, movie or album from the last year? TV show - Better Call Saul

8. #1 person you’d like to meet? Clint Eastwood

9. Favorite spring activity? Traveling

10. Let’s end on peacemaking – favorite peacemaking moment? I ran a "Money Smarts for Teens" series of classes. The teens were divided, as they came from different areas and cities. I put on some group activities and at the end, these teens were laughing and really talking with each other. Working together had broken down the invisible barriers and allowed them to communicate.

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Interview with a Peacemaker: Avalon Theisen

We have selected nine new Peace First Fellows! These Fellows were selected because of their leadership focused on making lasting social change in their communities by connecting across lines of difference with compassion, standing up for others and ideals with courage, and creating collaborative change by leading with others.

1. 5 words to describe yourself – GO! Selfless, kind, thinker, creative, strong

2. Current phone background Japanese moss garden at a temple I visited in January 2017.

3. Dogs or Cats? Dogs

4. Last thing you googled? Tiny houses

5. If you could be any supernatural creature, what would it be? Japanese fox spirit “kitsune yokai”

6. When are you most productive? In the morning, before lunch

7. Favorite TV show, movie or album from the last year? Big Bang Theory

8. #1 person you’d like to meet? Gandhi

9. Favorite spring activity? Reading, walking outside

10. Let’s end on peacemaking – favorite peacemaking moment? Keynote speaking at a mini-COP21 event in Paris (part of UN climate change summit) about effects of food choices on our planet

http://www.peacefirst.org/peace-first-fellows/2017/4/21/avalon-theisen

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Interview with a Peacemaker: Tiffani Alexander

We have selected nine new Peace First Fellows! These Fellows were selected because of their leadership focused on making lasting social change in their communities by connecting across lines of difference with compassion, standing up for others and ideals with courage, and creating collaborative change by leading with others.

Meet: Tiffani Alexander, 19 years-old, Butterflies, Beetles, Bees, Oh My! Founder

1. 5 words to describe yourself – GO! ambitious, funny, quiet, adventurous, outgoing

2. Current phone background frank ocean

3. Dogs or Cats? dogs

4. Last thing you googled? Chiraq (the movie)

5. If you could be any supernatural creature, what would it be? An avatar (from the James Cameron movie)

6. When are you most productive? I’m most productive between 8pm-5am

7. Favorite TV show, movie or album from the last year? blonde x frank ocean

8. #1 person you’d like to meet? Prince

9. Favorite spring activity? going to street festivals

10. Let’s end on peacemaking – favorite peacemaking moment? My favorite peacemaking moment was meeting the Peace First Fellows and staff, during the Summer Gathering

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Interview with a Peacemaker: Alexa Grabelle

We have selected nine new Peace First Fellows! These Fellows were selected because of their leadership focused on making lasting social change in their communities by connecting across lines of difference with compassion, standing up for others and ideals with courage, and creating collaborative change by leading with others.

Meet: Alexa Grabelle, 15 years-old, Bags of Books founder

1. 5 words to describe yourself – GO! Always up for a challenge

2. Current phone background A friend and I in front of the Golden Gate Bridge

3. Dogs or Cats? Is neither a choice?

4. Last thing you googled? Kickstarter.com

5. If you could be any supernatural creature, what would it be? A pegasus

6. When are you most productive? When I have a tight deadline

7. Favorite TV show, movie or album from the last year? The Hamilton soundtrack (It's my dream to see it someday!! I enter the lottery everyday!)

8. #1 person you’d like to meet? Ellen DeGeneres

9. Favorite spring activity? Traveling with my family over spring break

10. Let’s end on peacemaking – favorite peacemaking moment? Hearing a student tell me that the day I visit her school is her favorite day of the year

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Interview with a Peacemaker: Jeremiah Anthony

We have selected nine new Peace First Fellows! These Fellows were selected because of their leadership focused on making lasting social change in their communities by connecting across lines of difference with compassion, standing up for others and ideals with courage, and creating collaborative change by leading with others.

Meet: Jeremiah Anthony, 21 years-old, Activist

1. Current phone background A picture from the top of Mount Huashan in China. It's the world's most dangerous hike and I climbed it last year.

2. Dogs or Cats? Dogs. I don't trust cat people.

3. Last thing you googled? "How to make best steaks"

4. If you could be any supernatural creature, what would it be? Babayaga. Gotta love chicken legs.

5. When are you most productive? During crunch time.

6. Favorite TV show, movie or album from the last year? Narcos was incredible.

7. #1 person you’d like to meet? Alexander the Great. He accomplished everything he wanted. Otto Von Bismarck. Perhaps the greatest politician of all time.

8. Favorite spring activity? Body surfing

9. Let’s end on peacemaking – favorite peacemaking moment? In my life: When people tell us our work prevented them from killing themselves. In history: The abolition of slavery in the British Empire. It was the first major human rights movement. Its impact cannot be overstated.

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Interview with a Peacemaker: Kylee McCumber

We have selected nine new Peace First Fellows! These Fellows were selected because of their leadership focused on making lasting social change in their communities by connecting across lines of difference with compassion, standing up for others and ideals with courage, and creating collaborative change by leading with others.

Meet: Kylee McCumber, 15 years-old, Kylee’s Kare Kits for Kidz

1. 5 words to describe yourself: Creative, outgoing, smart, loud, and funny.

2. Current phone background My boyfriend and I

3. Dogs or Cats? Dogs

4. Last thing you googled? The three stooges alphabet song.

5. If you could be any supernatural creature, what would it be? a ghost

6. When are you most productive? I am most productive in the middle of the day.

7. Favorite TV show, movie or album from the last year? My favorite TV show is Shameless.

8. #1 person you’d like to meet? Carrie Underwood

9. Favorite spring activity? In the spring I like to eat ice cream with my friends at our local ice cream stand.

10. Let’s end on peacemaking – favorite peacemaking moment? My favorite peacemaking moment would be the ice cream social and barbecue we used to do for the homeless families living in the shelter in my town. We would set up a whole afternoon of events with an ice cream party, BBQ, games, and much more. We were able to really get to interact with the families that we were helping and got to know them on a personal basis. The shelter was closed last year so we aren't able to do it any longer.

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Interview with a Peacemaker: Tony Weaver, Jr.

We have selected nine new Peace First Fellows! These Fellows were selected because of their leadership focused on making lasting social change in their communities by connecting across lines of difference with compassion, standing up for others with courage, and creating collaborative change by leading with others.

Meet: Tony Weaver, Jr., 23 years-old, Weird Enough Productions

1. 5 words to describe yourself GO! Anime plus analysis equals Tony

2. Current phone background: Steven Universe

3. Dogs or Cats? Dogs! Shiba Inu preferably

4. Last thing you googled? "August Wilson Interviews"

5. If you could be any supernatural creature, what would it be? A super saiyan

6. When are you most productive? 11pm-4am

7. Favorite TV show, movie or album from the last year? My Hero Academia

8. #1 person you’d like to meet? Donald Glover

9. Favorite spring activity? Ultimate Frisbee

10. Let’s end on peacemaking – favorite peacemaking moment? When August Wilson gave his speech "The Ground on Which I Stand" at the Theatre Communication's Group's 11th Biennial conference in June 1996.

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Interview with a Peacemaker: Alexis Werner

We have selected nine new Peace First Fellows! These Fellows were selected because of their leadership focused on making lasting social change in their communities by connecting across lines of difference with compassion, standing up for others with courage, and creating collaborative change by leading with others.

Meet: Alexis Werner, 21 years-old, Seeds of Hope

1. 5 words to describe yourself – GO! excited, empathetic, strong, leader, loved

2. Current phone background My Olde English Bulldog- Rooney!

3. Dogs or Cats? Dogs

4. Last thing you googled? "How painful is a root canal" (I've been putting mine off for a year now)

5. If you could be any supernatural creature, what would it be? My mom- she has it all together.

6. When are you most productive? In the morning and when I'm around my people

7. Favorite TV show, movie or album from the last year? TV: still catching up on Grey's Anatomy, Movie: Fences, Album: Coloring Book by Chance

8. #1 person you’d like to meet? Michelle Obama

9. Favorite spring activity? Putting up my hammock outside

10. Let’s end on peacemaking – favorite peacemaking moment? Teaching kids about volunteering through our book: Seeds of Hope. I explained the importance of volunteering and a 2nd grade girl said she had the power to create change in her community.

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We’re proud to announce the newest class of Peace First Fellows!

The nine inspiring young people were selected as Peace First Fellows because, through their compassion, courage, and ability to collaborate with others, they have been the driving force behind positive changes in their communities.

Fish Stark, age 21, Harwood, MD Alexis Werner, age 21, Pittsburgh, PA Avalon Theisen, age 17, Tampa Bay, FL Tiffani Alexander, age 19, Murfreesboro, TN Ryan Traynor, age 18, Emerald Hills, CA Alexa Grabelle, age 15, Voorhees, NJ Kylee McCumber, age 15, Leominster, MA Jeremiah Anthony, age 21, Iowa City, IA Tony Weaver Jr., age 23, Atlanta, GA Read about these young people and celebrate their stories. And be sure to check out our social media to follow along as we spotlight each of these incredible young people over the next two weeks.

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A movement only starts with the second person. Being the second person is incredibly brave.

Jeremiah Anthony

Jeremiah sat down with Afterschool App to discuss peacemaking - read it here: http://blog.afterschoolapp.com/2017/04/26/including-bullies-in-the-solution-5-minutes-with-a-teen-difference-maker-interview-with-jeremiah-anthony/?utm_content=buffercd435&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

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The Peace First Challenge was presented at America’s Promis Alliance Recommit2Kids Summit last week!

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A Poem of Peace by Donovan Stewart

We had a young person reach out, unable to join the Peace First Challenge due to his age*, who wanted to share his thoughts on peacemaking through poetry. We think it’s AWESOME! Check it out and get inspired:

Letting go and tired?  I have my hope to keep me strong.  Feeling dry and lighter?  I'll keep going, I won't stop. I have my friends and my friends have me. And I will keep living my dream. So many colors that I see. I'll paint them to be free. And I'll paint up, paint all the way up. I'll  paint up, no matter what they say, I'll paint up like no one else before. I'll paint for you, for you, I'll paint for you.

My heart feels like stone. I feel like I CAN GO ON. When I'm alone and so cold, my friends warm me up. The color blue tells me it's ok to cry. The color green says to paint the happy times. The color red says love is always right. The color yellow tells me to shine my light. I'll paint up, I won't be afraid. I'll paint up, I've done it once and I'll do it again. I'll do it for you. For you. I'll paint for you. I'll paint for you.

Some people will hate you but still go on. Some people will love you. Show your color, spread love. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Just follow the colors, yellow, green and blue. Just follow your dreams and you will see, then you will find your destiny. And I'll paint, paint for this age, I'll paint it up to go down in history. I'll paint it up, I'll paint like never before. I'll paint for you.  I'll paint for you. I will paint for you.

By Donovan Stewart, age 11

*Legal stuff is complicated and limits our ability to accept young people under 13 to join the Peace First Challenge. Not something we love, but something we have to live with!

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Read more about all of these incredible projects here.

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“As a young person in a city that battles problems related to race, poverty, and other social factors, I feel it is my duty to become knowledgeable about these subjects to make educated decisions.”

A team of young people in Chicago is addressing their communities needs.

“To Solve the Injustice of high school students feeling unmotivated, uninformed, and unheard in relation to community issues, we will address the lack of hope and understanding, by hosting half day action oriented programs in three high schools in which we will do some of the following: educate students on community issues, hear from motivational speakers, and engage in dialogue around issues that are prevalent in underserved neighborhoods.”

Learn more about them here.

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Peace First Fellow Jasmine has a team for the Peace First Challenge, which is working to fight the confidence gap by providing young women a space to speak their minds. They are Little Loves. Check out their project page here.

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In Indiana, a group of young people have Accepted the Peace First Challenge and are creating a project to address food security, with a focus on nutrition and educating.

“We are addressing the lack of knowledge on nutrition with schools, food manufacturers, government agencies, and parents, by teaching youth and our communities where food comes from.”

You can help them out, give them ideas, and encourage their work here: https://www.peacefirstchallenge.org/project/370/

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Wave of bomb threats resurfaces Anti-Semitism

Police tape at the JCC in Nashville, TN after the community center received a bomb threat on January 9, 2017. Photo Credit: The Tennessean

Religious discrimination seems to be making the news an awful lot lately. Within the month of January alone, there have been nearly fifty bomb threats to Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) across the country. These bomb threats have been part of a coordinated effort of hate crimes, with 28 centers in 17 different states being threatened on the same day (January 18, 2017), and 16 centers in 9 states threatened the week prior.

Some people think of bomb threats as an easy and harmless way to get school canceled, but a bomb threat is no laughing matter. After a bomb threat was received at the JCC in San Rafael, CA, approximately 200 students were evacuated, and the police and bomb squad were immediately called in. With so many threats across the country, the FBI has also begun investigating.

Many of the threats were done with voice-disguising technology that protects the caller’s identity. A recording of one of the bomb threats was captured here:

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TRANSCRIPTION:

“It’s a C-4 bomb with a lot of shrapnel, surrounded by a bag (inaudible). In a short time, a large number of Jews are going to be slaughtered. Their heads are going to be blown off from the shrapnel. There’s a lot of shrapnel. There’s going to be a bloodbath that’s going to take place in a short time. I think I told you enough. I must go.”

Such discrimination against members of a particular religion can be seen as part of a trend in the rise of hate groups in America. The Southern Poverty Law Center has documented this trend since 1999, which may be driven in part by predictions that Caucasians will no longer be the majority race in America by around 2040.

How can we as peacemakers show solidarity for our Jewish friends? How can we increase tolerance in our communities for people of different religions?

Join a community of peacemakers and create a project to address religious injustice today!