Saturday, 18 February 2017 / Published in 2017, Antakya, Blog, Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Kirikhan, Local Chapters - Turkey, Peacebuilding Activities, Reyhanli

Celebrating a New Chapter

BL4P local chapters recently gathered in Gaziantep for a day of community service activities and to encourage one another. The day’s biggest event was hosting nearly 200 Syrian orphans from nearby schools for fun activities including songs and dances. Smiles lit up the room as children and peace-builders shared this very special day together. It
Friday, 30 September 2016 / Published in 2016, BL4P Participant Stories, BL4P Peace Camps, BL4P Turkey, Blog, Video

Dania | Never Home

“My home was just beyond those mountains”. Dania points out to me the dark mounds of rock and dirt in the distance. “That is where my parents are, waiting to see me again”. A sad smile stretches across her face. Her hands clasp around her legs, hot denim drawn up against her chest. We begin
Tuesday, 27 September 2016 / Published in 2016, BL4P Participant Stories, BL4P Peace Camps, BL4P Turkey, Blog

It Was Girls’ Night

It was girls’ night at the camp. As we began crowding into one of the larger suites in the hotel, our Turkish, Syrian and Iraqi friends tossed bags of candy onto the growing heap on the floor and onto the beds, many of their headscarves and hijabs. “Let’s dance”, once of the girls shouted dragging
Thursday, 15 September 2016 / Published in 2016, BL4P Participant Stories, BL4P Peace Camps, Blog

Being Here is Enough

The media has given us images of the horrors of war in Syria. We have seen on our screens what has happened to millions of people whose lives have been turned into a “before” and “after” existence. We have even seen the vacant, traumatized stares from children and adults. It moves us to tears, to
Thursday, 01 September 2016 / Published in 2016, BL4P Peace Camps, BL4P Turkey, Blog, Video

The Movement Has Begun

In August 2016, BL4P hosted a peace camp in southeastern Turkey that brought together 75 young people from the Middle East and North America to engage in building a future of peace together. Participants spent the week learning and practicing five peace values: celebrating diversity collaboration conflict resolution catalytic leadership through reconciliation and forgiveness, and