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AN INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM FOR YOUNG ADULTS IMPACTED BY TERRORISM
Project COMMON BOND 2011 Continues to be a Success Seventy-six teens from around the world that have the unfortunate common bond of having lost a family member to an act of terrorism joined together for a week long alliance. Project COMMON BOND, now in its fourth year, continues to change the lives of young people around the globe. For eight days in July at Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia, 76 teenagers from Argentina, Israel, Ireland, Liberia, Northern Ireland, Palestine, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, and the United States came together to heal, explore the concept of dignity and the role it plays in conflict resolution, and form friendships that will last a lifetime. In 2012, Project Common Bond will be held 30 minutes outside of Boston, MA on July 12 - 20. Download your application here. In just around 5 hours and I am going to leave America. I am so sad. I feel that I need more. But I am also so happy because I met so many inspiring people. I shared my whole life with them...our laughter, foods, feelings, dorm rooms, bad moments and beautiful memories. At the end we became a big family. I believe in this quote "A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world.” So if I have a friend like PCB's friends that means that I have the whole world ..! love you guys ♥ - Palestinian Participant News outlets such as The Washington Post, BBC, Telemundo, USA Today, and NY1 were able to come in and capture a part of the experience to share with the world. This was another successful year in continuing Tuesday’s Children’s steps towards fostering collaboration, peace building, and global stewardship. Some participants were returning for their third and forth year, while other participants were the first time representatives from their country to attend Project COMMON BOND. The first day was spent in team building exercises that encouraged trust and communication and ended around a bonfire making s’mores and learning line dances. In the afternoons the participants were active in various electives including art, drama therapy, movement, music, and sports. The outcomes of the electives were displayed and performed at the talent show finale. Evening activities included a workshop on stress reduction conducted by Dr. Mandy Habib, an inspirational talk with Michael Brown, a 35 year old who lost his father in a terrorist incident when he was nine, and a World Café, a dialogue activity that encourages open discussion and real conversation for a better world. There was also plenty of free time to relax, socialize and use the gym. There was no shortage of talent at PCB. Many participants took the opportunity to spontaneously play the piano, guitar, sing or dance. To me PCB is a great brotherhood in which we all have something in common that makes each of us feel even more special. The fact is that PCB makes us feel safe, happy and comfortable with people who are around us. This experience for me was incredible. The people I have met have treated me very well and I feel grateful for life with them! I hope PCB will always continue for all those teenagers who need to understand. It is comforting to know there will always be someone who understands you and supports you, in my opinion, a conclusion that makes PCB! - Spanish participant This week continued to build on the amazing experiences of Project COMMON BOND of past years. To date 220 young adults have participated in this transformational program. Participants from all over the world have been able to continue their supportive community of peers through the use of a private PCB Facebook group and Skype, allowing the strong bonds that are formed to continue to flourish and grow. We are confident in the results of Project COMMON BOND and its ability to grow and help more teenagers. I just realized something that I have to thank you all for... I remember reading the letter to parents and it said you might notice a change in your child after PCB. It was only today that I realized that I have changed for the better since PCB. I started changing who I want to be and what I want from life and without noticing I have started clearing negative people from my life because they have been a bad influence on my mood and my life. So I made a decision to only have positive people who want to grab life in both hands and live it and not be negative all the time and not try to live life in a positive way. - Irish participant To view NY1 coverage of Project Common Bond 2011 - Washington DC, click the images below. To view a video of the Project Common Bond 2010 - Belfast, click the image below. About Project COMMON BOND Project COMMON BOND brings together teens, ages 15-20, from around the world who share a “common bond” — the loss of family member due to an act of terror. Launched in 2008, Project COMMON BOND has so far brought together over 225 teenagers from eleven different countries and territories to turn their experiences losing a loved one to terrorism into positive actions that can help others exposed to similar tragedy. Participants echo the mantra of our program to “Let Our Past Change the Future.” Teens gather for an eight-day healing and peace-building symposium in a safe and supportive environment, where they engage in dialogue and community-building activities that acknowledge and respect their differences while promoting friendship and understanding. Project COMMON BOND is building an international community of young people whose lives have been transformed by terrorism—global ambassadors working toward peace, positivity and empowerment. Project COMMON BOND is the most expansive and fastest growing of Tuesday’s Children’s programs and the only international program uniting children directly impacted by acts of terrorism. In August 2010, we held our annual Project COMMON BOND symposium for the first time outside of the U.S., in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This year, Project COMMON BOND will be held 30 minutes outside of Boston, MA at Governor's Academy from July 12 - 20. Download your application here. Goals › Provide opportunities for personal and collective healing › Acknowledge and respect differences through dialogue › Promote friendship, understanding and tolerance › Build upon the “Common Bond” through interactive activities and community service projects › Impart skills in conflict resolution and peace-building › Explore ways to effect change › Foster resilience and strength and illuminate steps toward a united and brighter worldwide future Objectives › Healing – to help youth affected by trauma become more resilient › Transformation – to learn conflict resolution skills › Leadership Development – to affect positive change in home communities Background Currently, there is no mechanism to bring together young people who have experienced similar tragedies to build their resilience and strength. These children, in many cases, remain isolated. In a comprehensive document entitled “Managing the Psychology of Fear and Terror,” Psychology Beyond Borders—an international non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to assisting communities and individuals impacted by natural disasters, incidents of terrorism and armed conflict—states that a major strategy to enhance resilience includes “building programs and structures that facilitate community and individual bonding.” Creating community with peers who share common experiences is a powerful tool for healing and positive growth, especially for young people. The lack of community building forums after 9/11 inspired Tuesday’s Children to seize an opportunity to develop programs which created community for families and children, thereby improving their attitudes, awareness, and coping abilities. The idea for Project COMMON BOND came from our own experience and knowledge of the 9/11 adolescent population along with extensive research in collaboration with mental health experts and family members who have actively participated in Tuesday’s Children’s programs and services throughout the past decade. Wanting to reach out to others worldwide who have experienced a similar loss and common “bond,” Tuesday’s Children created an international community fostering positive personal growth and community action. Who Project COMMON BOND accepts applications from teenagers worldwide, male and female, ages 15-20, who have lost an immediate family member due to a terrorist attack. All faiths and cultures are welcome. Participants are recruited through collaboration with respected organizations in nations affected by terrorism that work with the families who have experienced loss. These support organizations screen and select appropriate adolescents from their countries to participate in the program. To select the most appropriate participants in other countries, we worked through intermediary organizations that screened international candidates. Criteria for participants includes the following: Loss of an immediate family member due to an act of terror Teens between the ages of 15 and 20 Ability to commit to an eight-day minimum program Speak English proficiently Screened and referred through an intermediary organizations. There are fees associated with this program. If there is a financial hardship, please contact Kathy Murphy at 516.562.9000 or
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. Project COMMON BOND Partners Project COMMON BOND Supporters Program Partners Project COMMON BOND works with respected organizations in nations affected by terrorism that help the young adults who have experienced loss. In addition to family support organizations that screen and select appropriate adolescents, program partners consist of Project COMMON BOND's curriculum providers.
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During the week, the young adults participated in an interactive curriculum that introduced the Dignity Model, developed by Dr. Donna Hicks of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, at Harvard University. Monica Meehan McNamara, Director of Curriculum, and a team of facilitators skilled in both conflict resolution and psychology, led the three hour morning sessions. Exploring the concept of dignity offers an accessible and applicable message of hope and transformation. Dignity is inherent in all human beings, and that to act with dignity is to extend to others what we would like for ourselves. We cannot always bring about resolution in conflict, but by recognizing that conflict is about the violation of individual’s dignity, we can take immediate steps to address our own dignity and that of each other. Our motto for the week was, “we can do better”.
On Thursday, July 28th, the group traveled into Washington D.C. to explore the Capitol Building, the State Department, the White House, and the National Mall. It was a long and fully filled day where the participants were able to interact with many different organizations that all work towards peace. The group also visited the United States Institute of Peace. There, USIP's Ann-Louise Colgan talked to the students about their work and plans for the Global Peacebuilding Center, which will extend the Institute's educational work with younger audiences and include the launch of a new website in the fall. USIP's David Smith and Cheryl Saferstein engaged the group in a peacebuilding activity.
Research has shown that teaching and practicing effective conflict resolution between people, individuals and cultures, teaching and practicing understanding and tolerance, and promoting shared humanity are necessary strategies to reduce terrorism. Project COMMON BOND, through its healing and conflict resolution programming, peace and community-building curriculum, and education initiatives, attempts to address these goals.
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