The 10th AIDL Summer programs were very successful.   The first week of the Institute was virtual and was attended by forty-one students.  Twenty-nine of them were able to drive to Emory University the next week to complete the second week of the Institute.  Over the course of the two weeks, the 10th Cohort  (those who were a able to attend both workshops) heard and interacted with twenty-six different speakers who talked about peacebuilding, civil communication, conflict resolution, civic engagement, and diplomacy at the national and international levels.  Speakers zoomed with us from Northern Ireland, Kenya, Morocco, Egypt, Paris, and Brussels.

We were blessed to hear from some of the most successful and amazing peacebuilding organizations in the world, including: Transformative Peace, EcoPeace Middle East, Hand in Hand Jewish/Arab Schools of Israel, Rethinking Conflict, and Seeds of Peace.  Other topics during the Institute were: the Importance of Freedom of the Press, News Literacy, an Introduction to Ethics,  Civic Engagement at the local and state levels, Servant Leadership, Starting a Nonprofit, and Nonviolent Social Change.  The international issues addressed focused on the Humanitarian Crisis in South Sudan and the Conflict in the Middle East.  The speakers for the two week Institute included two former refugees, a Georgia state representative, college professors, nonprofit leaders, and a visiting group of Eurasian IVLP leaders, who were here in Atlanta at the invitation of the US Department of State.  In between speakers, the students worked in groups on community-based projects such as Gun Violence, Financial Literacy, Civic Engagement, Sustainable Development, and Digital Literacy.  The highlight of the in-person week for many of the students was the National Security Council simulation, which dealt with the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan.

Due to the growing popularity of the AIDL (over 175 students from around the world requested applications), we added an extra virtual week in July, in which 18 students participated.  This group consisted of different metro Atlanta students than the Institute, but also added students from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, California, and even from Kazakhstan and Qatar. A complete list of speakers can be found in the pulldown tab labeled Overview.

 

Information about upcoming programs set for this Fall and next Summer will be posted later in the Summer.