Chris: YPN 2008 Participant (USA)

Living the Youth Peace Network experience during the summer of 2008 gave me the capacity to return to Kalamazoo and begin working towards a better community. It is exciting to know that 17 other young leaders are about to share in this transformative experience and I am anxious to learn of their peace building efforts. I feel compelled to tell you about some of the local and international peace building work I've become involved with in recent months.


Roots for Reconciliation: August 24 to August 30, 2009 - Yerevan, Armenia
Fortune smiled upon me as I again had another summer opportunity to represent the YMCA of the USA during this substantial peace building project in Yerevan, Armenia. Sixty-five of the region and world's best YMCA leaders convened in the Aremenian capitol to share with one another the best practices and strategies for building peace in the region. This profest, was a relationship and skill building experience of significant scope and importance. The first three years of the project included annual retreats and arts festivals bringing together young YMCA leaders from across borders to work at building peace through aligning goals and activities. As a member of the YMCA of the USA team I experienced first hand (again) the strength of the YMCA movement. Learning about incredible projects at developing YMCA's across Aremenia. The work YMCA volunteers and staff in Armenia have been accomplishing is vital to the community and inspirational to other YMCA leaders around the world.Roots for Reconciliation is a structure becoming more widely used for international peace building efforts. The main resources of the process, as I understand them, are as follows:

• Find the good in others
• Understand the barriers and how to work through them
• Create dialogue
• Play and build good memories together
• Understand all the causes before identifying solutions
• Do no harm, first.
• Discover more about the Roots for Reconciliation project.

Building a Community of Belonging Forum: March 18, 2010 - Kalamazoo, Michigan

As a YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo representative and community partner of the Arcadia Institute, I was a member of the planning and presentation committee. This was an incredible opportunity for myself and our YMCA. We hosted over 70 local and statewide organizations and leaders at a day long forum about Kalamazoo working as a leading community of belonging. This work is just underway and you can learn more by visiting thearcadiainstitute.org.



  Family Night Events: Year round - Kalamazoo, Michigan

At the YMCA Maple Branch, over 150 people, including 40 families, 12 volunteers and five community partners have come together to enjoy, experience, learn and share at our Family Fun Night events. Open to the community and free to members, Family Fun Nights like Passport to the World, Kids in the Kitchen and the Earth Day Fair provided opportunities for families to be engaged across the YMCA pillars of Youth Development, Health and Wellness, and Social Responsibility. YMCA and community families learned the benefits of nutrition and smart grocery shopping as they were given the resources to prepare a family meal together at Kids in the Kitchen. During the H2O Challenge at the Earth Day Fair, families worked as a team as they experienced the significance of global resource consumption. By playing games and eating foods from different countries, families enjoyed a variety of cultures at Passport to the World. The event concluded with a presentation about the ongoing YMCA of Armenia project: Roots for Reconciliation, demonstrating the strength and relevance of the YMCA Movement’s worldwide impact.

 

During Family Fit and Fun, 110 people, comprised of 28 families, experienced the diversity of YMCA fitness programs on a weekly basis. Activities included family zumba, nature hikes, soccer, kickboxing and cycling, and were followed by a chance for multiple families to “break bread” together with intentional social time featuring healthy produce and grains from local, natural and organic sources. Family Fit and Fun succeeded in providing families the opportunity to share and support their health journey with one another.
 

YMCA Community Garden: April 23, 2010 to current - Kalamazoo, Michigan

The YMCA Maple Branch has started a community garden on the South Lawn. Ground breaking occurred at the Earth Day Fair. Families and volunteers from Romania and Sudan worked together as a “small community” to create a 100 square foot garden. The garden serves as the focal point of outdoor, healthy food healthy kids healthy community learning experiences. The garden aims at promoting social interaction, opportunities for therapy, exercise, and recreation. Growing in the garden are: carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, basil, rosemary, dill, cilantro, green beans, sunflowers and marigolds!

Open Roads Bike Program: April 15, 2010 to current - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Don't know about Open Roads? You better get with it. This partnership with the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo is teaching teens how to fix and repair bikes (which they get to keep as their own) and the soft skills of how to succeed in the workplace. The difference in just 6 weeks is unprecedented and kind of scary. Teens have gone from barely wanting to talk with you, to looking straight into your eyes as they listen intently and respond in a respectful manner. Kudos to Eric C. and Chris B. from the Open Roads staff for succeeding in creating this outcome. Confidence and skillz are about to be taking the city of Kalamazoo over. The YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo will be hosting this program at least twice this summer. More info to come!
 

The work in Kalamazoo is just beginning! This summer I hope to teach conflict resolution skills and inspire peace through a free camp program in a local at-risk neighborhood. More information about YMCA on the Road to follow. In the mean time, please share with me your ideas and ways I can support your work in the effort of peace.