Global Institute

The Global Institute is Kids4Peace’s flagship policy and advocacy program for teens from around the world.

During twelve intense days in Washington, DC, our most committed youth interact with senior officials, discuss global issues, and learn skills to be public leaders for peace.

The program culminates with Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, where youth share their passions and priorities with congressional offices.

During the Global Institute, youth from Jerusalem and the USA form strong relationships, as they learn from the experiences of teens from other backgrounds who are equally committed to peace. In addition to dialogue, team-building, and cultural activities, the program has six key components:

• Leadership Labs​: World-class trainers lead experiential workshops in social entrepreneurship, public narrative, community organizing, and political advocacy.
• Policy Roundtables​: Together with experts, youth dive into the complexities of global issues, like the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, immigration, and climate change.
• Strategy Sessions​: Youth meet with advocacy organizations and grassroots leaders to understand diverse approaches to planning and implementing social change – from artistic collaboration, to youth empowerment, to citizen mobilization.
• Interfaith Engagement​: Religious communities have been central to movements for social change, so youth meet clergy & faith-rooted activists to study texts, share stories, and visit religious institutions at the forefront of interfaith cooperation for justice and peace.
• Peace Actions​: Youth work side-by-side with activists who are creating innovative solutions to the most challenging social problems, like homelessness, food security and racial equity. Through these hands-on projects, youth are inspired to plan actions when they return home.
•  Advocacy Day​: The Global Institute culminates on Capitol Hill, where teens meet with 50+ House and Senate offices to seek support for legislation addressing a range of global issues, including Israeli-Palestinian peace, climate change, immigration, and gun violence.

Follow-Up Projects: ​When youth return home from the Global Institute, they plan and implement social change projects individually or via their local chapter. Past projects have included community gardens, anti-hate online campaigns, advocacy for bilingual (Hebrew-Arabic) subtitles in Jerusalem cinemas, and a ballot initiative to address police violence.

Program Partners & Mentors: ​During the Global Institute, youth meet scholars, diplomats, policy advocates, religious leaders, and grassroots activists from diverse backgrounds, who help lead the sessions outlined above. When adults take youth seriously as partners in addressing complex social issues, youth gain more confidence in their own voice, power, and ability to create change.

Participant Quotes:

• “Because of the Global Institute, I know I have the power to make change” – Kareen
• “K4P gives me hope that there are people on the other side of the conflict who also want peace, and in giving me that, gives me hope that peace could be achieved.” – Omar
• “We are not running away from our problems. We do the opposite. We are moving towards a solution. We are not ignoring it, but we are doing something about it.” – Eilana
• “Kids4Peace helped me transform my anger into motivation to work for peace.” – Raffi