Identifying Universal Values and Building Common Ground

At first, one would think Iraqi and US teens would have little in common since their life experiences are so different. However  during GYV’s  Peace-building Program, there has been incredible connection, integration, and appreciation between the youth from the U.S. and from Iraq. Friendships have become so strong and people have bonded over open discussions of cultural differences.

A moment that brought us all together came from a speech GYV founder, J.E. Rash, gave the first day the youth arrived. He pointed out that there are certain universal human values that transcend cultures and continents. The young people from both countries added compassion, honesty, integrity, respect, courage, family, community, strength, open-mindedness, humility, and the ability to listen to a list of universal values.  Recognizing that we all aspire to and agree upon the same ideals created a foundation for open communication and respect that was perfect for living in cabins together, participating in our peace-building workshops, and engaging in all of the other fun activities around the Global Youth Village.

One 16-year-old Iraqi participant described her experience at GYV this way:

The Americans were so nice. I learned a lot of stuff here – to be responsible for myself, to care for myself and my friends in hard times, and it was a great experience for me to meet the Americans and talk with them. My thought about Americans changed when I came here and met them. The way I talked to them, we talked about a lot of stuff we have in common, and the workshops were great and fun. Yesterday we were all dancing.

Despite diverse cultural practices, variations in religion, and differences between our governments, recognizing the universal human values we all share transcends these separations and provides hope for a peaceful world community.

The Founder’s View

We hear the word “global” a lot nowadays: global warming, global economy, global communications network, global thinking. But what does it really mean to be a citizen of the global village? It means striving to live by values that people of all nations share: values of community responsibility, service, respect, justice, and security. It means honing our skills and knowledge while helping our neighbors, too. It means making the most of diversity within the unity of our common humanity.

The Global Youth Village is a hands-on experience in global citizenship. I am confident that you will discover, as so many before you have, that with trust, cooperation and enthusiasm, you can cross barriers of ethnicity and race, gender and religion, and work together for a better world. Come join us for another exciting summer. We’re not only preparing for the future-we’re creating it!

Yours sincerely,

J.E. Rash
Founder and President

What is a peacebuilder?

At the Village, respect is the standard of all interactions.  There are plenty of differences- differences in religion, language, economic background and culture.  The glue is - each person knows that  the future requires cooperation, that we must develop the ability to listen and accept different points of view, that courageous action is possible, and a sense of humor always helps. At GYV, your voice is heard and your perspective is appreciated.  Most importantly you really experience how one person can positively affect a community.  You will develop lifelong perspectives and friends.  Alumni circle the globe and help each other out. Join a GLOBAL Network.

Other Posts:

Letter from the Founder

Valuable Lessons learned at Folktale Night

Folktale Night

Our talented participants engage in folktale night once every session.  Folktale night provides our participants a chance to express their creativity by dressing up as different characters and acting out a folktale for everyone.

Each tale teaches a valuable lesson to the participants such as forgiveness, compromise, understanding, that laughter really is the best medicine, even the smallest people can be the biggest help, humbleness and the value of teamwork. 

While learning these lessons, the participants are able to learn a lot about each other and their own artistic ability.  The students love folktale night and all the entertainment, laughter and sharing they are able to take part in.

Global Youth Village – Making Earth Day Every Day

It is spring time at the Global Youth Village, and we are already doing lots of work along the wooded trails and pathways getting ready to host young people and staff from many places around the globe.  So far, we have people coming from Kyrgzstan, Turkey, Egypt, Iraq, Indonesia,  and Nigeria.

So, what can you do on April 22 until you come here and learn more?  Amanda French, who taught Green Your World with us in 2009, shared some ideas:

Start your Earth Day by getting unplugged!  Often known as “wall warts” and “energy vampires,” power cables with transformers often consume watts of energy while plugged into outlets. Over the 365 days connected, the wasted energy adds up. What can you do?  Reduce your carbon footprint and environmental impact by disconnecting those cables or replacing them with “Energy Star” alternatives. You can even use a power strip with a master switch to completely disconnect those energy hogging circuits.  With over 180 million cell phone charging users in the U.S. alone, we can all make an impact one watt at a time by getting unplugged!

The Domino Effect of Community Service

Recognizing the importance of the “domino effect” on civic engagement within your community is vital to its growth and preservation.  You rarely ever see just one person involved in a “community” project, instead several members are compelled to become involved and make a difference. With this concept in mind, working with youth in particular can change a generation. We need our youth to recognize the value of preserving our communities and encouraging growth in a constructive way. 

Here at the Global Youth Village , we try to instill the importance of this concepts in our participants as we provide the tools necessary for them to become community leaders. We show our participants the importance of giving back, while encouraging their peers to do the same. Our hope is by encourage a small group of youth, we will create a global domino effect amongst youth around the world.

 Become part of our “domino effect” and attend GYV this summer!   APPLY TODAY! E-mail Suhad Rasoul at gyv@legacyintl.org for more information.

Next Page »