A non-profit, international creative writing and performance youth empowerment movement that allows young people discover their voice and offers them a platform to use it. Our artists and ambassadors take on artistic voice in a unique approach to empowerment and leadership by addressing issues of:
• Social Unrest–by demonstrating that coming-of-age and activism define and shape individual lives.
• Intolerance–by collaborating as proactive allies in the peace-building process.
• Peer Pressure–by encouraging young minds to discover their values and identity deepening their understanding of and compassion for others.
• Life in a “Virtual World”–by demonstrating that social media can’t replace face-to-face dialogue and fosters the understanding that a personal profile not only reflects their chosen perception of themselves, but it determines their perception by others. Berlin was selected for our initial breaking walls initiative because the vision of dismantling the Berlin Wall inspired breaking walls to dream even larger than Bethlehem & Brooklyn. Over nine-days 16 new artists from Bethlehem, Brooklyn and Berlin experienced the writing-performing workshop as well as face-to-face dialogue while touring Berlin together. The most exciting aspect of the Berlin workshop was the writing/performing was led by six Brooklyn and Bethlehem ambassadors who were cast members of both documentaries. Our initiative assisted 12 Cape Town young men and women, ages 13-17, to build a creative community with the artists from Brooklyn, Bethlehem and Berlin through writing about issues of isolation, self-esteem, and the legacy of apartheid. breaking walls 2014 Cape Town saw the initiation of a strong, grassroots peacebuilding component. Consulate hosted a Skype meeting between Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace and our breaking walls artists and ambassadors. Ambassador Chowdhury spoke to our youth about the important role they can play in building a peaceful world, starting with breaking down the walls each of carry in our hearts. Ambassador Chowdhury guided a passionate Q & A session and, inspired the creation of our first annual breaking walls Peace & Tolerance Statement. Building on this foundation Brooklyn breaking walls artist, Jabari Ashe, led the creation of a “Do an act of peacebuilding” video for the International Day of Peace; as he and 20 NYCDOE high school students to attend the General Assembly’s High Forum on the Culture of Peace as guests of Ambassador Chowdhury.: LINKS: ATTACHMENTS. breaking walls 2015 will happen in Barcelona, Spain from July 21 thru July 31. The initiative will again consist of community building, creative writing, creation of a Theater Piece, and a culminating performance for a live audience; plus, the opportunity to share face-to-face dialogue and life experiences as an ensemble group. breaking walls 2015 Barcelona will begin with a series of three Skype sessions between March and June 2015. These sessions will break down the walls between all the delegations; and, initiate the community building and creative writing that are integral to breaking walls. The 26 artists and 7 ambassadors from Brooklyn, Bethlehem, Berlin, Cape Town and Barcelona will come together to write around issues of economic disparity, high youth unemployment, low self-esteem, and how to shape a tolerant, peaceful world. breaking walls ultimately expects to create an international community of emerging creative artists and empathic leaders who will know how to use writing and live theater performance as effective tools to:
• Cope with environments of chaos and conflict;
• Effect artistic and personal transformation that leads to lasting social change;
• Effect understanding and empathy on a personal, neighborhood, community, national and international level;
• Use their empathy as positive role models and change-makers as educators, lawyers, law enforcement officers, diplomats, community leaders, parents and life-long learners. breaking walls impact will be based in connecting underrepresented teens from inner city Brooklyn, New York with international groups of at-risk teens, to:
• Enable disenfranchised teens to tap their most protected places to write with rare honesty and to use writing as tool for personal/social change in a nine-day writing/performing initiative;
• Sustain and expand an on-going, long-term breaking walls initiative “Hub” based in Brooklyn to create a core of artists to collaborate and facilitate community-based and international initiatives with their peers;
• Establish long-term, sustainable breaking walls initiatives within each of our partnering communities. As breaking walls enables disenfranchised teens to tap their most protected places to write with rare honesty and to use writing and theater as tools for personal/social change . . .
• 2014 Brooklyn artist, Jabari Ashe, changes his major to Social Work so he Can make a difference to the younger kids in my neighborhood;
• 2014 Cape Town artist, Sanda Sulani, realizes breaking walls showed him English is the universal language that I need to read, write and speak so that I can succeed in every aspect of my life – especially making a difference in my community;
• 2012 and 2014 Brooklyn artist, Alleah Johnson, mentors our Cape Town girl artists;
• 2012 and 2014 Berlin artists, Martha Crowe and Neha Dutt, prepare to facilitate a breaking walls initiative in Berlin. This initiative will match youth at the Nelson Mandela Schule with youth from the Syrian and Iraq immigrant community;
• 2014 Cape Town initiative assistant, Nick Sylvester, explores joining the Peace Corps because There is so much more to life than working 9-5. I want to continue to make a difference;
• 2012 and 2014 breaking walls ambassador, Mahmoud Abu Srour, who dreams of serving Palestine as a diplomat, purses an internship with the Palestinian Foreign Service.
• 2012 and 2014 breaking walls Bethlehem ambassador, Mohammad Abu Srour , posted this statement and a 117-image photo breaking walls 2014 Cape Town album on his Facebook: Being a part of the breaking walls project as a Palestinian means getting new friends and also having the chance to travel around the world and teach my new friends respect and stop them from taking wrong decisions in life that could have a bad impact on their future life. My mission is to let the peace in my heart reach out to every single man and woman on this planet...
