Blogging the Dream

The following post is a reprinting from one of the Bosnian members of our International Youth Corps (IYC), Amina Hunder.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We live in a society that represents the so-called democratic system of government. One of the main theses of this system is the universal opportunity to vote, which guarantees voting rights to all citizens regardless of race, gender or financial status. However, democracy in the modern age doesn't  respect the principles of its real meaning, and the abuse of democratic principles was one of the main reasons for starting the war. Every one of us has a dream to live in peace. You can only fulfill that dream if you stand side by side, shoulder to shoulder with others not caring of racial, religious, ethnic or other differences.

When you connect all the characteristics of  peace, justice and democracy, you get a final result, you get the International Youth Corps (IYC), a program of the Realizing the Dream organization (Learn more about the history of Realizing the Dream here). The IYC provides opportunities for youth, ages 18 to 30, from across the globe, to develop their leadership skills through nonviolence training and international exchange.

Members of the youth corps project, who come from different parts of the world,  have recently been in Bosnia, where they visited Mostar, Brčko and Stolac. On this occasion they found out more about the problems that affect a small country like ours, but at the same time they were impressed by the beauty that she possesses. It is important to say that nine new members who came from different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina,  joined this organization to follow the path of Martin Luther King and make the world a better place to live. For all those who are interested in joining or learning more about this non profit organization, visit their website and Facebook page, and in the end remember that the time is always right to do what is right…

The opinions in this post are solely those of Hamzat Sani, Program Coordinator, and do not necessarily represent opinions of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change or its leadership or staff.

“We who in engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive.”

Before sharing my humble and perhaps mildly uninformed perspective on the boarding of the Freedom Flotilla off the Gaza coast, I believe it necessary to share any potential biases that might influence how I address this issue. I am a born Muslim from West Africa. I’ve had some of my family members assassinated, jailed and exiled for their progressive political activism. My approach to nonviolence stems from an understanding of it as a particular lifestyle and not simply a useful tactic for social or political reform.    

One of the basic principles of nonviolence I have found essential is the absolute disavowal of nonviolence during resistance activities. This is one of the elements that make it distinct from other modern articulations of peace movements. While the Free Gaza Movement flotilla was indeed intent on a peaceful interaction, it can be called to question whether the actions on the Mavi Marmara were truly nonviolent. No matter the perspective, what must be universally agreed upon is that some activists reacted to the boarding of their vessel with some level of violence. 

What is commendable is the clarity and focus of the Flotilla’s action which is often missing in similar acts of protest. The Freedom Flotilla was organized with the clear intent of disrupting the Gaza blockade, a blockade many in the international community believe to be illegal, by forcing the Israeli government into the uncomfortable stance of enforcing their security measures in international waters or allowing significant amounts of aid to enter Gaza uninspected. Even before the world first soldier boarded a ship, Israel was aware of the precarious situation they were to face, with high level officials calling it a lose-lose situation. According to the Free Gaza movement a growing fleet of ships is currently being amassed for further challenges to the blockade, illustrating a sustained and planned effort beyond typical resistance tactics. This is perhaps the sign of a well organized resistance campaign, however not one that is exclusively nonviolent.
 
For all the criticism of the violence that erupted in this “peaceful” exercise, one thing that is clear is this particular resistance campaign would not have garnered international coverage and outrage without the deaths that ensued. One of the more disagreeable roles media has adopted bringing news only when tragedy occurs. Protests and resistance efforts that are not met with violence or are violent in and of themselves don’t usually receive the traction necessary to bring the story to the common world citizen outside of the geographic context in which events takes place. In many instances tragic events don’t even register, depending on the country.

This “if it bleeds, it leads” focus by the media was also present as far back as the American civil rights movements when orchestrators of that movement utilized the tension already present around race issues to combat discrimination. They orchestrated large and small scale protests nation-wide with the intention of capturing significant media appeal.  Sit-ins by well-trained blacks at segregated establishments were an initial tool for nonviolent resistance.  Activists participated with the expectation that their actions would illicit violence, hopeful however that if violence did not occur then the goal of diversifying an all white space would have been reached safely.

As any student of the period knows the violence that occurred during these sit-ins is what thrust the Civil Rights agenda to the forefront of the public psyche. As the media broadcast depictions of smartly dressed and innocent looking youth, denied their simple demand for a milkshake and beaten by brutal mobs of white men, to living rooms around the nation, the tide against racism began to shift gradually. A President and a nation were forced into action and bolder protests, including at some point school-aged children were planned by civil rights leaders. Amongst these leaders it was understood that if their “redemptive suffering” was not witnessed by common Americans, then change would be slow to come. This is not to say that the civil rights movement fed off of violence, but protestors knew to expect violence and the best way to engage it when it occurred.

Two important elements emerge from this example. (1) a group of actors well trained in nonviolence and dedicated to its use in all scenarios and (2) a group of leaders willing to dramatize  existing racial tension in a manner that could not be ignored by a generally disengaged audience. 

The notion that the Freedom Flotilla is not a nonviolent a nonviolent protest presents a question of interest. Would we be aware that a group of activists from Palestine and other countries around the world including Nobel peace prize winners and American politicians were on a flotilla to break the blockade in Gaza if it had not resulted in the death of at least 9 peace activists in international waters? As much as we would like to indicate otherwise the answer, supported by past similar attempts and even successful voyages which garnered little to no press, is no. These fleets have been traveling to Gaza since 2008; however we as world citizens were largely unaware or inattentive.

Violence gets our attention. Peaceful protest, not so much.

One of the elements of nonviolence that I have come to appreciate and which is inferred in the term itself is the constant possibility of violence. Violence and nonviolence often work in a Yin and Yang fashion, with one constantly resisting the other. I doubt we will ever be without violence but there is a necessity to strive towards nonviolence, if for no other reason but our continued existence on this earth. Past nonviolence leaders and activists recognized the futility in evading violence, instead choosing occasions where physical violence erupted as opportunities to further the agenda against oppression nonviolently. Without the dramatization of existing tension, there is no impetus for the status quo to be amended. Nonviolence brings this tension to the forefront in a manner that builds reconciliation for the future, rather than destroying community.   

Whether the end goal of the flotilla movement is accepted as right is beyond my comprehension; however it is clear that the conflict in the Middle East is ripe for nonviolent social actions and policies to be enacted. High level Palestinian officials have recently espoused using nonviolent resistance tactics against certain Israeli policies. Recent high level visits from Rajmohan Gandhi and Martin Luther King, III mark the resurgence of nonviolent activism on both sides. However, this sense of hope will not remain if unsupported; too many people on both sides are living in an intolerable and unsustainable fear and poverty. Nonviolence will not only cease violent actions, but generate a constructive community.

A community that will address the fears of both sides while generating a culture of peace—that can be a gift to the next generation. That would be a stark contrast from the heritage of hatred and intolerance that children on both sides learn today. It’s a dream I have, others may share it as well.

- Hamzat Sani
Program Coordinator
The King Center

Guest posting by:

Or-Tal Be'eri

International Youth Corps (IYC)

The opinions in this post are solely those of Or-Tal Be'eri and do not necessarily represent opinions of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change or its leadership, partners or staff.

Today I protested. I haven't done so in years. I think the last time was in 1996 or 1997 a year or two after Yitzhak Rabin was shot. Since then I kept thinking that protests were not for me. I didn't want to belong to them and kept finding excuses why not to go. 

This week I protested. I could no longer stand aside and watch from afar. I felt I had to do something. I talked to people, I posted comments and articles on Facebook but I do that every day on everyday issues. This time it was different, this time I had to do something completely different. I had to do something.

Let me start from the beginning. After the Hamas took over Gaza strip, Israel launched a blockade on the Gaza strip. The humanitarian situation in Gaza only got worse after the Israeli operation two years ago. There have been several trials to break the blockade by peace and human rights activists from both Israel and from around the world. In the last few weeks Israel had been preparing itself for the arrival of the Gaza Flotilla Aid. Several ships consisting of both activists from around the world and aid supplies made their way towards Gaza.  As the flotilla finally approached, they were offered several options of delivering the aid to Gaza (i.e. cargo checks, etc.) but they refused.

After not responding to the Israeli calls to be escorted by  the navy vessels to Ashdod Harbor, Israeli soldiers started what was supposed to be a take-over on the ship—with very few resistance. As the soldiers went onboard however they were attacked by the people on the boat with iron poles, clubs, axes and stones. The peace activists snatched the soldier's weapons and shot at them. Israeli soldiers fired back. After several hours the event ended with 9 activists being killed, dozens were hospitalized, at least 8 Israeli soldiers were also hospitalized, and 2 of them are in a critical condition.

I kept thinking about it the whole day. Every five minutes I would check the news to see maybe if new information had surfaced—perhaps something different then what we had been hearing. How could it be that there are 9 people dead (during the day it was said to have 10-20 people)? I must admit that I typically have much to say about the Israeli policy of dealing with issues such as these, but 9 people dead in what was supposed to be a non-violent struggle? Something was wrong.

As the day moved on, slowly the picture started to become clearer. It wasn't a non-violent struggle at all! The activists engaged in a violent act against the same system that they feel engage in violent acts against those living in the Gaza strip. The peace activists attacked the soldiers and in return Israeli soldiers reacted in a violent way. 

To this point, understand that I'm not only mad at the Israeli government for being violent to the Palestinian people, but I am also mad at these so called "peace" activists that aroused such a violent act! I can understand the need and urge to bring the struggle to the attention of the public. But I can't understand choosing the way of violence. I believe that in order for the cycle of violence to stop, a person has to break it in a non-violent way. "Solving" it in a violent way only produces more violence. And if you don't believe me – look at this week’s events.

I couldn’t stand still and let it pass me by. I had to stand up and call for a change. Change in perception, Change in policy, Change in activity!  As the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, violence begets violence. If we want to break the cycle we must meet the forces of hate and violence with love. He also relayed the strong message that in confronting forces of hate and violence, we need to remember that for the non-violent resister our goal is never to forcefully defeat or humiliate our opponent but to win their friendship and understanding.   You cannot combat violence with violence, only nonviolence can triumph violence.

This change starts in each and every one of us; in each and every step we make toward saying this is not what we want! It's standing and saying this is not what I signed up for—I don’t want to accept this anymore! Even if we don't know what should happen, even if we don't know how to do it, we still know something has to change. 

I was very insecure about my attitudes, about what I can do to change it. I felt frustrated and hopeless. But this Monday nothing stopped me – not homework, not the lack of friends and people I know in the protest and not even the need to justify myself to my friends and family.

 
Today I protested.

Having joined IYC after its 2009 trip to South Africa, Morapedi works at Sonke Gender Justice Network, an organization which promotes gender equality, the prevention of domestic and sexual violence, and the reduction and spread of HIV and AIDS in South Africa. He previously attended Cape Peninsula University of Technology, where he volunteered as a HIV & AIDS and Gender Based Violence Peer Educator. Morapedi enjoys activities like drama, poetry and is a leader of the dance/drama group in his township called HLF (Hot Like Fire).

Read his moving post on family violence below...

"On the 2nd of April I will be turning 27…this would be the time to reflect about the gains and contributions I have made  to the development of societies in which men, women, youth and children can enjoy equitable healthy and happy relationships that contribute to the development of just and democratic societies.

I was born in a small village called in South Africa, my father was a very violent man, and so was my brother. As grew up I wondered what kind of a man I was going to become. It was a struggle for me because my father could not provide for us all his money he would spend on alcohol, friends and his multiple partners. At the age of 13 I moved to stay with my aunt in the big city of Johannesburg, where my aunt worked as a domestic worker.

Please view my digital story I have done displaying violence in home. It tells a story about my brother (Ofentse) who abused his wife (Gaafele), infected her with HIV, abused her until she died.

Despite this, I write this letter happy and with a big smile…this is so because I have joined the most exciting youth program in world. More than ever I am more determined to get involved and learn from other youth corps who I consider as part of my bigger family. My mentor has always said to the “all our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”

I thank the IYC for giving me the wonderful opportunity of working through the program to travel around the world and learn to be able to come home and plough back in my community. I pledge to work tirelessly to champion freedom, justice and equality by working to redress poverty, build community and foster peace through nonviolence."

- Morapedi Moreotsene (Johannesburg, South Africa)
International Youth Corps (IYC)

Rhonda Everdyke lives in the Washington DC area and is the Public Policy Manager of Outreach at ASCD focusing on K-12 policy. She has served on several boards for improving education access, women and politics issues, and her own education focused on political communication. Having worked in DC for five years, Rhonda has significant experience in the fields of policy, advocacy and communication. She has been a member of RTD’s International Youth Corps (IYC) since March 2009, and her personal project is aimed at empowering young people wishing to pursue public office in the U.S. 

Read her new blog post below!

As a member of the IYC, I have been blessed to go on two trips in the past year with this astonishing organization. I went to Africa in the spring and Sri Lanka in the fall of 2009. Both trips widened my knowledge of dissimilar cultures and worldly views. I have embraced what I have seen and hope to take these views and others on with me as my dream in the United States has been to serve society no matter at what level that may be in the future---local council member to president. We are lucky to live in a world where anything is possible and clearly we’ve seen it happen!

My recent travels have added to my life experiences that have always lead me to believe in the power of the “youth voice.”  Youth is defined as 35 years old and younger in the IYC approach of Realizing the Dream programs. In Kenya, a country that has experienced much violence and has been forced to overcome numerous obstacles-- youth voices, minds, and thoughts are praised and they are encouraged to become the next politicians and community organizers. It is of cultural importance to work with and nurture the young people to become leaders -- to carry the country on to greatness. In Kenya, PLO Lumumba expressed his passion for youth leadership: “The youth are the true barometers of the political and economic climate of any country. Therefore take your pride of place; you are not leaders of tomorrow, start serving today.”

In Sri Lanka, we saw some young leaders as politicians, employees of government, and on the ground trying to make a difference. A bit different from our experience in Kenya, there was also a lack of youth empowerment. There are several reasons for this, not limited to the fear that the country was in for so many years of war and the children suffering from being prisoners of that war. There is a real chance for a youth movement to happen and bring change within the country -- to make things better and to create a peaceful post-war climate. Realizing the Dream is trying to work towards those goals with the projects that were discussed for Sri Lanka. I was proud to be a part of the first trip.

Not only did I start to pry open my interest of youth voices in other countries, but it made me take a hard look at my own country.  To look for those similar young voices. I have always believed that they have existed and hope that I will continue to be looked upon as having a local youth leadership voice. They are powerful. We have seen several examples of young people making a difference; Dr. King himself showed the world what a powerful youth voice was!

American members of the IYC are also prime examples of this country’s young leaders. JFK stated “A society that does not pay homage and respect to its youth is a society at a drift - a giant headed to the rocks.” But as a whole, as a nation…have we paid our homage? Do we respect our younger population’s opinion? Or are we faced time and time again with forcing youth not to speak out of turn, having to be of a certain age to run for office, or just in the work place...ageism can run rapid. But what if our we treated our younger people as the value of this country?

So no matter where you live: Be politically savvy, Know your own culture, Know the global climate, and Be able to communicate your thoughts and ideas effectively. And society must give youth the space to do so. More organizations like The PLO Foundation, Voices Under 40 and Running Start, need to be the norm of society. Let’s help the youth voice, be a respected, effective voice for the better of this country and all countries around the world.

You never know the youth that has been able to collaborate via Realizing the Dream someday may run for office in their respective countries and we might have different, more understanding, and might I even say friendly international relations policy conversations in the future!

-Rhonda Everdyke; Washington, D.C.
International Youth Corps (IYC)

Additional Resources:
Running Start programs are dedicated to educating and inspiring young women to participate in politics and run for office. We educate young women about the importance of politics in their lives and give them the skills they need to become leaders. http://www.runningstartonline.org/

Voices Under 40’s mission is to educate, train and develop powerful communicators and arrange inspirational opportunities and events that highlight young voices. www.voicesunder40.org

"In the wake of International Women's Day, I would like to introduce you to a little known political activist kindly referred to by most as “Granny D”. Doris Haddock passed away this week on March 9th. She will be remembered for her activism and feisty spirit exemplified in her quote, “You're never too old to raise a little hell.” Born in Laconia, New Hampshire, Doris attended Emerson College in Boston a few years before being kicked out; she would eventually receive an honorary degree from both Emerson and Franklin Pierce College in her later years.

Throughout the Great Depression, she worked at factory until retiring some 20 years later. While employed she and her husband successfully campaigned against the testing of a hydrogen bomb in a small Inuit town in Alaska. This granted her a first-hand look into the domain of political activism.

After retirement, she served on the Planning Board in her city and was actively involved in her community while caring for her husband who was living with Alzheimer's disease. Eventually she would lose both her husband and daughter to the disease. In the 1990’s she became interested in campaign finance reform and spearheaded a petition movement citing that candidates either had to sell their soul or be a millionaire in order to run for political office in the United States. She found this to be against the tradition of democracy and set out to draw attention to the high cost of running for office in the U.S.

Granny D's aim was to apply pressure on Congressman and woman to block campaign laws which allow political money, not limited by the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA), from corporations, and lobbyists which typically donated to candidates in order to influence them during political campaigns.

Granny D decided to walk across the U.S. to make this point clear. Covering 10 miles a day, she travelled across California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia, before arriving in our nation’s capital nearly a year later. She began that journey at age 88 and by the time she reached Washington D.C., she had turned 90 years old—proving one is never too old to “raise a little hell.”

In 2002, Congress passed the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act banning national political party committees from accepting, or spending, “soft money” contributions—a huge success for Granny D’s reform movement.

Granny D continued to be politically active to the end of her life. At the age of 94 she ran for the Senate seat in her home state and accepted only modest contributions from private citizens during her election campaign. She celebrated her 99th birthday last year by lobbying for campaign finance reform.

Shortly after her 100th birthday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a long-standing ban on how much companies could spend on political campaigns. Corporations may now give unlimited amounts of money to election candidates who seek political office and influence. Those like me, who sympathize with Granny D’s sentiments, see this action as a threat to override the voice of the common voter. It is a discouragement to the democratic political process. Perhaps now even the slightest threat of reckoning from a dissatisfied powerful lobby group will be enough to bully our lawmakers and influence their decisions.

After pleading guilty to the charge of demonstrating in the Capitol building after her infamous walk across the U.S., Granny D told the judge:

In my 90 years, this is the first time I have been arrested. I risk my good name --for I do indeed care what my neighbors think about me. But, Your Honor, some of us do not have much power, except to put our bodies in the way of an injustice--to picket, to walk, or to just stand in the way. It will not change the world overnight, but it is all we can do.

So I am here today while others block the halls with their corruption. Twenty-five million dollars are changing hands this very evening at a fund raiser down the street. It is the corrupt sale of public policy, and everyone knows it. I would refer those officials and those lobbyists, Your Honor, to Mr. Bob Dylan's advice when he wrote: "Come senators, congressmen, Please heed the call. Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall."

Your Honor, the song was a few years early, but the time has now come for change. The times are changing because they must. And they will sweep away the old politician --the self-serving, the self-absorbed, the corrupt. The time of that leader is rapidly fading. We have come through a brief time when we have allowed ourselves to be entertained by corrupt and hapless leaders because they offer so little else, and because, as citizens, we have been priced out of participation and can only try to get some enjoyment out of their follies. But the earth itself can no longer afford them. We owe this change to our children and our grandchildren and our great grandchildren. We need have no fear that a self-governing people can creatively and effectively address their needs as a nation and a world if the corrupt and greedy are out of their way, and ethical leadership is given the helm.

Your Honor, to the business at hand: the old woman who stands before you was arrested for reading the Declaration of Independence in America's Capitol Building. I did not raise my voice to do so and I blocked no hall. But if it is a crime to read the Declaration of Independence in our great hall, then I am guilty.

The judge kindly replied, “take care, because it is people like you who will help us reach our destiny.""

- Chantal Pierre, Program Associate

Realizing the Dream, Inc. 

A program associate with Realizing the Dream, Chantal Pierre has a long background in social services, with considerable experience in program development, crisis intervention, community empowerment and working with vulnerable populations. She has won numerous awards for her commitment to national service and is a two-time AmeriCorps alumni, having served with both NCCC (the National Civilian Community Corps) and VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). Chantal earned her master’s degree in Social Work from Texas State University with a focus on leadership and nonprofit administration.

"Following the funeral of my grandfather the late Rev. Claude Black Jr., I began to feel a strong calling back home to San Antonio, Texas.

Why? It has been 17 years since I left San Antonio. 

After returning, I must admit that a lot has changed. The once very prominent eastside community has now become a place of severe neglect by the city.

It has been devastating to drive through what is left of my childhood community. There are so many abandoned homes and vacant lots, so many raggedy streets, stray dogs, drug addicts. No malls. No movie theatres. Even our schools are being closed.

As I drove down I-410, it was hard to imagine that to be a part of the same city as the eastside. Where were the banks and businesses that I saw as I drove through other parts of town? Why weren’t there as many economic development projects and freshly paved streets in my community?

It has been amazing to see the total devastation that families are experiencing. Many of these families suffered through this winter without heat or even adequate wall insulation. Many went without the basics such as electricity and running water.

Juvenile crime is another big problem. The city’s juvenile system is overcrowded and scrambling for solutions.

In our community, there are over 200 empty boarded up properties. These properties have become home to homeless, drug dealers, drug addicts and prostitutes. Many are owned by folks that have abandoned them due to the crime and lack of resources. We call them “absentee landlords.”

The county has instituted a no kill rule for animals. The results: Hundreds of stray dogs freely roaming the streets and are breeding rapidly. I came into my front yard and was startled by a Rottweiler-pit bull mix. 

All of these issues led me to recently acquire a set of buildings to rehab for use as an at risk teen center, senior citizen services and re-entry for felons program, as well as HIV / AIDS and other STD preventions.

We must ask ourselves. How do we attract families to move in? How do we build a strong economic business base? How do we get rid of the poverty and make life better for our residents?

I can remember my grandparents, the late Rev. Claude & ZerNona Black, always stating that one day I would come home. They would say, “Some will welcome you with open arms. Some will resent you and set out to ruin you. It is not personal; it is about your potential and jealousy. No matter what, you do what’s right and you will win them all over.”

As a visionary, I can see a community that is vibrant with economic development and growth. I can see a community full of resources that could set the bar high for other communities in despair. I have never misled myself to think it would be easy, but very well worth it.

I’m not saying that I have all of the answers, nor am I saying that I can do it all alone. But, as a united community, I do feel that we can improve the quality of life all in this community.

I have been working with San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and many other community leaders on ways and strategies for developing our community. We are on our way.

Why in the world did I come home?  

Well, the answer to that question is easy. There’s no place like home."

-Taj Matthews, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Born a San Antonio native in March 1976 to the late Frederick Douglass Matthews & Joyce Black Matthews, Taj Matthews has slowly but surely made a name for himself. Having served in the hectic world of media, politics and community empowerment, Taj is becoming a force to be reckoned with. He has written for such publications as the Florida Times Union, Jacksonville Free Press and others. He has served as President of the Jacksonville NAACP Youth Council, Member of the Duval County Democratic Executive Committee, The Claude Black Project as well as many others.

Upon the death of his grandmother, the late ZerNona Stewart Black, Taj began to examine and document the history of his own family. Through interviews with his grandfather, the Reverend Claude William Black, he coauthored Grandpa Was A Preacher: A Letter To My Grandson.

"All my life I have admired individuals and leaders who arose from pasts of unjust violence, lifestyles of violence, and institutional violence to live a life of peace, nonviolence, and social justice. But I always asked myself the question, How? This theory or belief in living a life of non-violence when the whole world around me was falling apart seemed foreign and for the wealthy. 

I grew up being constantly beaten by a father who was a pastor and who left me at 8 years old, to fighting in the streets to ensure that my belongings remained my belongings, to joining a lifestyle which had a core principle of “dog-eat-dog.” This lifestyle then landed in jail and stripped me from my freedom throughout my teen years. Through all this I dreamed and thirsted for a violence-free life but felt as if that was my only identity. 

It was not until I discovered the meaning of social justice and learned about the lives of great leaders like Malcolm X who grew up similar to how I did. These great leaders empowered themselves and the world around them to fight not with each other but rather for equality and justice. I then made a stance and decided that my life and my community are worth more than the suffering created by homicides, domestic violence, child abuse, and unjust violence. 

Martin Luther King Jr. talked about how loving your enemy and freeing the oppressor is a whole war in itself and takes much self discipline and self love to do it. The love for my people, myself, and justice continue to fuel a life of nonviolence and social justice that I am determined to live. No conviction will be larger than my own conviction to be nonviolent as a way to reach social justice. 

This voyage has allowed me to work all over the United States and spread empowerment to young people that also thirst to live a life of peace, justice, and nonviolence. This voyage has brought me to become part of Realizing the Dream’s International Youth Corps, as their mission for world peace aligns with my life-long goals in my pursue of social justice."

-Ely Flores, Los Angeles, California

International Youth Corps (IYC)

A native of Los Angeles, California, Ely Flores was born to an underprivileged family. Faced with the abandonment of his father at an early age, he turned to a gang lifestyle that led to experience – and engage in – violence as a means of survival. But at the age of 17, after many encounters with the law resulting in multiple incarcerations and house arrests, Ely allied himself with two organizations that challenged social injustice through social awareness and community organizing. He discovered a passion within for community building and empowerment and has since worked with multiple organizations, including Youth Justice Coalition, Public Allies Los Angeles, LA CAUSA YouthBuild, YouthBuild USA and currently GRID Alternatives.

In 2006, he founded LEAD (Leadership through Empowerment, Action and Dialogue), that has trained over 100 youth in social justice and community organizing. Despite the injustices he has faced and being only 22 years of age, he has been recognized by a Member of the United States Congress, the California Teachers Association, Mobilize.org, and the Bank of America Foundation. Ely continues working locally and nationally to bring about social change while balancing higher education and raising a son.

Learn more about our IYCers or apply to join the program today!

"Identity is the concept of saying “I am…,” but it’s what comes next that is the key element of human conflict. “I’m Jewish,” “I’m Arabic,” “I’m a woman” and even “I’m a student” holds an inherent attribute from each person we interact with.

When I identify as a Jewish person in front of anyone who is not Jewish, I ought to know that by saying that, I’m expressing to this person a whole range of identities that are interconnected with the “Jewish” identity. The way this person will look at me, think of me, talk and listen to me from this moment will reflect all of what being a “Jewish” person might mean to him—an occupier, or someone with no respect for Arabs and so on. And it goes the other way as well—When an Arab person says “I’m Arabic” to his “Jewish opponent,” he reflects to the other side a whole range of Arabic identities.

This is the negative side of identity. In identifying myself as opposite of the other person in all aspects of life (gender, nationality, religion, etc.), I’m deleting the possibility that we both have something in common.

Maybe it doesn’t matter that the girl next to me is an Arab girl. Maybe what’s more important is that she is a “girl”—Just like me! We can even look at this from a broader sense. The most fundamental fact of our existence is that she is a “HUMAN BEING”! She laughs, eats, loves and cries— Just like me! Maybe from this standpoint I could look and talk to her without throwing all the negativity and bad feelings that the conflict between our identities is producing.

It’s hard, because we are not really the same. We each have a history, culture and language that are different. Those are the things that create and construct our clashed identities. Above all, we each have a basic foundation of rights and freedoms that we each want and aspire to get. 

We are caught in a bad situation. We live in a time and place that keeps us in this conflict. This is my land and her land. But this is one land. And, as I see it, there are two ways to solve the dilemma. The first is in war – maybe I will win and she will die and maybe she will win and I will die – I DON’T WANT TO DIE! I suppose she also DOESN’T WANT TO DIE! So this is not an acceptable option for us.

The second way we can solve the equation is by acknowledging not only our common beliefs and rights, but also our joint interest in life. In order to do so we need to make changes in our surroundings and environment. We cannot live in a place that denies the rights of one on the account of the other. We cannot look to one side and say “We are democratic people” and to the other side say “This piece of land is Jewish”. We are contradicting ourselves. Our Jewish identity is clashing with the Arab identity. That wouldn’t happen if we were genuine with our democratic inspiration.

On the other hand, we cannot always feel guilty and absorb the guilt and shame of living in this place. We live here and that wouldn’t change. What can be changed is the way we look and understand our joint reality. It’s a long way but every journey starts with a single step. I would like to see the end of the journey, but even if I don’t, at least I’ll know I put my kids (when they come into this world…) on the path toward completing it."

The opinions in this post are solely those of Ortal Be’eri. 

Or-Tal Be’eri is from a Kibbutz settlement in the Upper Galilee in Northern Israel. A current Master's student at the Swiss Center for Conflict Research, Management and Resolution at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Or-Tal joined the IYC in Israel in June 2009.

In addition to her studies in building peace, she is working on a personal project based on Joanna Macy's "The Work that Reconnects." Its main goal is to empower Israeli and Palestinian woman to engage in resolution of the Israeli - Palestinian conflict.

“Y.E.S! was conceived during my ride from the airport to the hotel on my first trip with Realizing The Dream to Nairobi, Kenya. Stuck in rush hour traffic, I was able to get a clear look at both the beauty of Kenya and the poverty. I saw vast stretches of underdeveloped land, remnants of housing destroyed due to the previous year's election violence, as well as beautiful, rich trees and flowers and people selling handmade artifacts on the side of the road.

A familiar thought, ‘If only they had the resources...’ emerged. The money to develop that land and provide housing for those displaced persons. the money to actually employ those who so carefully take care of the land, the natives, who simply have a love for nature and its preservation, and tend to its well being for free, the formal entrepreneurial skills/ resources to juxtapose with innate entrepreneurial skills in order to build key relationships and sell their amazing artifacts overseas. 'If only...' This statement was familiar to me, as I muttered it many times driving throughout my home, Newark, NJ.

Moving from downtown Manhattan, NY to Newark less than two years ago was a bit of a culture shock. Similarly engulfed in poverty and beauty, I longed for a platform to encourage the youth of Newark to get off of street corners selling drugs and to employ the acute awareness it takes to avoid the police, the financial savvy it takes to manage even a small drug operation, and the passion for a greater quality of life that usually places them there, and learn about entrepreneurship.

Y.E.S! is that answer. Y.E.S! hopes to save and empower the youth of Urban communities before concluding that the 'streets' are the only option for survival. 

The program includes a standard entrepreneurial curriculum in which the participants will execute a business plan, but with forward technology and an international reach, Y.E.S!l hopes to excel beyond any standard entrepreneurial program. Using iPod Touch devices by Apple Inc., my firm, a social media/ mobile technology company, will create an iPhone application which includes a Chat Messenger, a Collaborative Whiteboard, and a Media Feed of the program's entrepreneurial speakers. This technology will allow U.S. participants to collaborate with African participants to create a entrepreneurial project employing the skills taught in Y.E.S! as well as to form a partnership and camaraderie amongst students from different countries, but battling the same issues. Above all, Y.E.S! speaks to Dr. King's model of redressing poverty, empowering future leaders, and building community throughout the world.”

-Lindsey Holmes

International Youth Corps (IYC)

Newark, New Jersey, USA

Lindsey C. Holmes, a native Washingtonian, has already founded two organizations aimed at financial literacy and social empowerment. Having joined RTD in Kenya in March 2009, her IYC project seeks to promote entrepreneurship to youth under the age of 21 by facilitating a series of interactive workshops.

As an occasional poster to this blog, she will be sharing insight into her efforts at harnessing business skills and technology to create the next generation of social entrepreneurs.

You may learn more about Lindsey or support her project here, or read her inaugural post above!

"The children are like me:  Kenyan, young, and have this whole world at their disposal. However unlike me, they seem not to be aware of the last characteristic. That’s where I feel we (Kenyan Youth) come in. Working with Jahazzi (a group of students from nearby Daystar University) has been a wonderful experience. More so because of the surprises that my community project – ‘planting a seed’ – has come with as we run the project.  

I was to meet my friend in the city. As usual, 2 pm became 3 pm (African time!). Its funny how we still get upset yet we know it is going to happen; I guess we could conclude and say Kenyans are a hopeful lot. I found a bench to sit on as I waited for my friend. Next to me was a lady my age that looked familiar. After a few minutes of conversation, I found out we were from the same university and she introduced me to her friend. We chatted for a while and as I had to leave, we exchanged contacts.

The following weekend was our first bonding session at Seet Kobor primary school. On my way to Nakuru I decided to check up on my new friend who at the time, happened to be going through a rough patch. I shared with her about the Project and invited her to join in case she wanted to get out of the city and clear her mind. Three hours later, she was in Nakuru and I went to pick her up. We spent the whole day making encouraging posters for the student’s classrooms that we would use for the mentor programme. 

The next day was our mentor session with the 8th grade students and she participated in giving a couple of encouraging words to the children. As the weekend came to an end, she shared with me that she has never felt so giving and the feeling was great. Being around the children and seeing how they were so eager to hear what we had for them was such an experience. She thanked me for inviting her and encouraging her not to let her ‘rough patches’ pull her down.

Realizing the Dream has done to me what she felt I did for her. It has taught me that the time to make the difference I want to see is today and not tomorrow. It has given me the push I needed to become a better me. Not only is ‘planting a seed’ for the 8th grade grandaunts but also an avenue for any youth who wants to give back and does not know how. Through the experience with my new friend, I now speak of my project when I get the chance. I just might be giving someone a chance to have that great feeling."

-Claire Sokoto

Nairobi, Kenya

International Youth Corps (IYC) member

Claire Sokoto is currently a 2nd-year undergraduate student studying psychology in Nairobi, Kenya. One of the most active members of the International Youth Corps (IYC), her time in the program has taken her to both Israel and South Africa, and for several months she has been implementing her personal IYC project, “Planting Seeds of Hope.”

As an occasional poster to RTD’s blog, she will be sharing short stories that had an impact on her through her journey with “planting a seed” and with the IYC.

You can learn more about Claire’s project or support her work here, or read her inaugural RTD post above!

Realizing the Dream has since past May been putting the pieces in place for a comprehensive project in Bosnia Herzegovina, one that will seek to leverage Dr. King's liberating message of nonviolence in bringing long-term reconciliation, tolerance and stability to that troubled country. A decade past its bitter civil war, Bosnia still suffers from a series of troublesome issues such as ethnic distrust and social instability, with perhaps the most striking being the level of segregation that exists between the 3 largest groups - Bosniaks (Muslims), Croats (Catholics), and Serbs (Eastern Orthodox).

Michelle Austein Brooks, a blogger for By the People at America.gov, recently documented this state of affairs and spoke with a representative from Realizing the Dream about our ongoing efforts there.

Read the full posting here!