Start-ups for peace
NEW YORK | Sofia (Executive Director of Afghans for Progressive Thinking) aims to empower Afghan women to become financially independent by providing professional skills, leadership training, and legal knowledge. Ahmed (Founder of the Lincoln School System) believes that girls must have equal educational opportunities in his native Pakistan. Stanford University graduate Justin (Founder of Bandura Games) uses the start-up culture of San Francisco to equip NGOs with better tools to build communities and reach cross-conflict audiences.
Tel Aviv-based activist Keren (Executive Director of Shutafot) combines an entrepreneurial spirit with her skills as a lawyer to expand the Jewish-Arab Shutafot coalition. She will continue to tackle gender injustice by creating resources like an interactive map of women’s organizations. Meanwhile, Zoe, a lawyer from Lahore, is building an app to connect young professional women with mentors all across the globe.
Seeds of Peace is proud to announce its second class of 17 highly accomplished GATHER Fellows from the Middle East, South Asia and North America. What unites them is their optimistic start-up spirit and their unwavering passion for peace despite intensified regional tensions. Among their social change endeavors are projects that address education, gender equality, the power of cross-cultural theater and music productions, as well as the creation of efficient mentoring networks.
The 2016-2017 GATHER Fellows embody courage to lead change. Their devotion to conflict transformation inspires people in their communities and across borders. The Fellowship will help them to deepen their impact by providing intense leadership training and networking opportunities.
“I strongly believe that just like you need different strings and keys to play a tune, bringing changemakers from all over the world to learn and explore strategies together will strengthen their individual efforts,” says 2016 GATHER Fellow Pious, the first African-born Muslim immigrant to be elected into public office in Maine, and who is now running for city council.
“I am looking to meet, learn and share my thoughts with my peers from around the world during the opening week of the Fellowship in London.”
The GATHER Fellowship is part of a larger initiative launched by Seeds of Peace in 2015 that invests in inclusive, practical social change led by alumni of Seeds of Peace and other emerging changemakers. The year-long program supports innovation and practical action by providing Fellows access to the resources necessary to unlock the potential of their vision.
“Our first class of Fellows has made enormous progress with their projects during the one year training that Seeds of Peace provided to them. We are glad that our program has had such an enormous impact on their work and on their respective commmunities,” says Seeds of Peace Executive Director Leslie Lewin.
The GATHER Fellows will convene in London from November 13-20, 2016, to take part in trainings, workshops, and expert-led presentations that speak to their professional and personal needs. They will benefit from an individually-tailored leadership development curriculum that offers coaching, networking, and opportunities for them to engage with their local community.
This year, Seeds of Peace is excited to be cooperating with Alan Harlam, Director of Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship at Brown University’s Swearer Center for Public Service. Alan founded Brown’s Social Innovation Initiative along with a group of visionary students in 2007; the program now reaches hundreds of students and alumni each year. He developed a course on Social Entrepreneurship that introduces students to the transformative impact that social entrepreneurs have in society.
“Alan has coached hundreds of successful changemakers over the years, and our Fellows will certainly greatly benefit from his expertise and leadership,” says Jerusalem-based GATHER Director Jonah Fisher.
“The collaboration with program partners such as Brown University and Burson-Marsteller is a fantastic asset for us,” says Lewin. “We are grateful for their generous pro-bono support.”
The 2016-17 GATHER Fellows receive a stipend to support their initiatives. They come from diverse professional backgrounds and include lawyers, community engagement experts, tech entrepreneurs, educators, youth and women activists, musicians, and theater directors.
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About Seeds of Peace
Seeds of Peace is a leadership development organization committed to inspiring and cultivating new generations of leaders in communities divided by conflict. We equip them with the skills and relationships they need to accelerate the social, economic, and political changes essential for peace. Our network now encompasses nearly 6,400 alumni throughout the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, and the United States who are uniquely positioned to lead change.