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Rotary Club: Encinitas Coastal Project Title: Hands of Peace Summer Program 1. Describe the project. What was done, when and where did project activities take place? Hands of Peace San Diego works with American, Israeli, and Palestinian teens to empower them as leaders of change in their societies. Through an intense dialogue process and educational exercises, participants develop conflict resolution and leadership skills The three-week Summer Program takes place at Pacific Ridge School, with many activities out in the community including a Border Exchange with students from Mexico, a peace mural design and painting project in Carlsbad, a trust building ropes course at UCSD, and visits to several local congregations. After the initial three-week Summer program, American alumni continue to work toward positive change in the San Diego area, while Middle Eastern alumni continue to work to affect change in their societies through regular Hands of Peace workshops in the Middle East. Please note: This program will be taking place from July 10 -29, 2019, so this Final Report is based on the scheduled activities and estimated costs with six years of program history as our guide. Receipts will be available at the end of July. 2. How many people benefited from this project? 43 Israeli, Palestinian and American youth, plus 10 Palestinian and Israeli facilitators, 20 host families, 300 community members at Farewell Celebration, and hundreds who heard youth speak at three different religious services and other community events. 3. Who were the beneficiaries, how were they impacted by this project, and what humanitarian need was met? The primary beneficiaries of the Summer Program are the 43 teenage participants from the San Diego area, as well as from Israel and Palestine, who learned important new leadership, communications and conflict resolution skills. Just as international Rotary projects help Rotarians better understand other cultures, the Hands of Peace participants learn that that they can have meaningful and respectful conversations with other people, even if they don't agree on controversial topics. They also learned how to develop and communicate their own perspectives, how to listen deeply, and how to resolve interpersonal and intercultural conflict. The San Diego teens represented the socio-economic, religious, geographic and academic diversity of our region, and the Israeli and Palestinian participants also represented many different backgrounds and points of view. The humanitarian need focused on giving more than just skills to these young leaders. They also see hope for a more peaceful and just future that they can contribute to by moving from dialogue to action. Positive relationships with "the other side" and seeing their common humanity gives them a model for the future that isn't just more conflict. Participants will take their new-found skills home and share information within and across societies. Recent research by the University of Chicago on the Summer Program shows that on a scale of one to 7, participants averaged a six in their commitment to sharing what they have learned with their families and communities, so the ripple effect can be very powerful. 4. How many Rotarians participated in the project? Estimated 30 5. What did they do? Please give at least two examples, not including financial support provided to the project. Rotarians host a welcome beach picnic for the teens, introducing them to our warm and welcoming American way of life. Rotarians serve as host families, opening their hearts and homes to teenage visitors from overseas as they go through this intensive, often challenging journey. Not only do program participants have a safe place to land each night, but the Rotarian hosts learn a great deal about the challenges and possibilities for peace between Israelis and Palestinians through this experience. Rotarians volunteer their excellent cooking skills to provide lunches for the participants. Rotarians also lend their business and professional expertise to Hands of Peace through our Leadership Council as the organization continues to grow, partner with community organizations, present community education events, and set an example for peace through understanding. 6. If a cooperating organization was involved, what was its role? In addition to Rotary, Hands of Peace collaborates with many community organizations. Here are a few examples: UCSD Recreation guides the teens through a day of trustbuilding exercises on their High Ropes Challenge Course. The City of Carlsbad and New Village Arts partner on a peace mural painting project. The City provides a small grant and the New Village Arts provides professional artists to work with the youth. The murals are exhibited at events that are open to the public. Hands of Peace participants take part in a Border Exchange with teens from Tijuana in a partnership with CETYS University. They discuss borders, identify, bias and and the ways in which young people can contribute to their communities. 7. Income
8. Expenditures
District must retain receipts of all expenditures for at least five years. Please scan and upload to the project's "Documents" tab all invoices (be sure they are marked "paid"), receipts and/or copies of checks for the full amount of the project budget. By signing this report, I confirm that to the best of my knowledge these District Grant funds were spent only for eligible items in accordance with Trustee-approved guidelines, and that all of the information contained herein is true and accurate. I also understand that all photographs submitted in connection with this report will become the property of RI and will not be returned. I warrant that I own all rights in the photographs, including copyright, and herby grant RI and TRF a royalty free irrevocable license to use the photographs now or at any time in the future, throughout the world in any manner it so chooses and in any medium now known or later developed. This includes the right to modify the photograph(s) as necessary in RI's sole discretion. This also includes, without limitation, use on or in the web site, magazines, brochures, pamphlets, exhibitions and any other promotional materials of RI and TRF.
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