Next month a group of 70 teens from all over the world will meet as part of a unique peace-building program in Belfast.
The eight-day program called “Project Common Bond” was set up by Tuesday’s Children, an organization serving those affected by the 9/11 attacks along with Harvard Law School Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program.
Teens from United States, Spain, Israel, Palestine, Northern Ireland, Ireland and Argentina will congregate at Queen’s University Belfast during the first week of August. They will form a community of peers that contributes to international dialogue about terrorism, peace, and other issues that impact their lives.
Though this is the third year the Common Bond program has been run this is the first time it has been held outside the United States.
The curriculum for the event has been designed by the Harvard clinical program. It is designed to focus on conflict resolution and communication. The sessions will be led by psychologists, educators, social workers and health care professionals who are trained in leadership, peace-building, traumatic loss and resilience. As part of the program the group will engage in discussions on global leadership issues, and will participate in team-based activities designed to foster trust, healing and communication.
Terry Grace Sears, president of Tuesday's Children said “For children whose lives have been directly touched by terrorism, the sudden, violent, and public nature of their loss becomes an overwhelming and defining characteristic of their lives…Tuesday's Children created Project Common Bond so that children from all over the world who have experienced similar tragedies can build resilience and strength together and positively shape their own future."