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Global Village
Young people must be given opportunities to develop and demonstrate empathy for others, both in their own countries and around the world. While Empower Peace's Virtual Connections and Women2Women programs aim to build meaningful relationships and understanding, the Global Village initiatives concentrate on giving the next generation the tools and opportunities to make a difference today.
"Be the Change" Global Village
A new Empower Peace initiative, The Global Village, brought together over a dozen NGOs operating in Jordan and over 200 Jordanian youth for a unique volunteerism and civic engagement fair. Students and their teachers traveled from every region, coming from as far North as Irbid, near the Syrian border and from Aqaba, located in Jordan’s southernmost tip. A group even traveled from a small village, situated over five hours from Amman, where young people have very few opportunities to visit the capital. Participants filled the room for a presentation on community service and civic engagement by Her Excellency Hala Latouf, Jordanian Minister of Social Development and for the volunteer fair that followed.

The students, ranging from 14 to 19 years old and from all corners of Jordan, were visibly eager to hear about the volunteer opportunities available in their communities. Perhaps even more significant, they also learned that important members of the Jordanian government value the passion and commitment of youth and plan on investing in more youth-centered civil engagement projects.

After hearing from Her Excellency, the students filtered into two adjoining rooms for a reception where they mingled and networked with local NGO leaders who were looking for volunteers. After several hours of gathering and exchanging information, dozens of youth stepped forward, offering their talents to help improve their communities and their country through volunteerism.

Empower Peace hopes to host more Global Village events based on this model throughout the world.
Special Event - Pledging for Pakistan
Just days after an Empower Peace videoconference between schools in Pakistan and the United States, a devastating earthquake hit South Asia killing tens of thousands of people.

As reports of the destruction spanned the globe, Empower Peace students learned that one of their new friends in Islamabad died in the earthquake when his apartment tower collapsed. Students in Boston and New York wanted to lend a hand, and "Empower Peace: Pledging for Pakistan" was born.

On November 10, 2005, students and teachers participated in a live telethon aired by a number of media outlets, including Geo TV in Pakistan and WB56 in Boston, and streamed live over the Internet. Highlights from the event included a message from US Senator Edward Kennedy and a performance by UN Goodwill Ambassador and Pakistani rock star Salman Ahmad. Empower Peace students raised $10,000 donated to disaster relief.