Hope for a Better World through Peace-Building Skills
Mariam*, from Bethlehem, admits she has been denied peace since birth and is jealous of the freedoms her United States friends enjoy. Mariam loved her “jadda” and yet one day she watched as her grandmother climbed a ladder to pick the ripe olives in the tradition she has always done. Mariam will suffer the pain, the social as well as psychological impact, of seeing her grandmother shot down by military for the rest of her life. Halfway around the globe in north Minneapolis, Tracy*, a highschooler, admits she’s afraid to walk out the door of her home for fear of gunfire. For each of these stories there are hundreds more of violent acts that deny the very peace the youth of ARK have been gathering to create. (*Indicates name change for privacy protection.)
Both Mariam and Tracy are active participants of ARK (Architects Relationships Knowledge), for peace, an international youth group joined by the common bond of believing in and working to achieve global peace. ARK began in 2001 with a small group of concerned adults who insisted that peace needed to start with youth, the hope for the future. After much planning, youth and adults gathered for the first ARK Summit in the humble dwelling of San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala in November 2003. Three countries, Guatemala, Palestine and United States, interacted patiently through translations in three languages. They discovered respect for cultural and faith diversities. They delved into tough subjects such as poverty, oppression, racism, human rights and powerlessness, they began to bond as a global family.
After five successful two week summits, the original three countries of Guatemala, Bethlehem, Palestine and African and Native American, Chinese from the United States now include representatives from Malawi, Africa, Lithuania, Jordan, Viet Nam, and Hawaii. The sixth ARK Summit will embrace Afghan, Somali and Iranian youth as well as experienced senior peace builders to reach across generational barriers.
ARK has become more than a group that meets annually. Each country has pledged to return to their respective homeland and implement peace initiatives on a continuous basis. The participants are anchored in the ARK Family.
“ARK is something I live each and every day of my life. I have something to strive for, something to reflect on, something to encourage me to make a difference. I am inspired by my ARK Family.”
- Jason Capecchi, student,George Town University, Washington D.C.
This quilt was created and made for ARK by Kathy Dobovsky of Minneapolis. It celebrates all five of the ARK summits.
