The People to People International is achieving its mission through the following:
1- Educational and Humanitarian Missions:
- Peace Camp: The PTPI Peace Camp is a safe environment in which young people of different nationalities and religions can freely express their views and experiences while learning valuable listening, communication, and conflict resolution skills that will allow them to develop empathy and understanding for one another. The PTPI Peace Camp helps teenagers from various world regions learn the skills of creating peaceful solutions on an individual, communal, and global level.
PTPI''s next Peace Camps will be held in Egypt and Russia in 2007. Stay tuned for more information!
- Global Peace Initiative:The Global Peace Initiative is an adventure for adults to engage in personal diplomacy in another country. Not only do the delegates visit many exciting places and attend some extraordinary and rare events, but they also are given opportunities to meet and listen to some of the leading authorities on such subjects as humanitarian and volunteerism, education, politics, historical, social and cultural perspectives, conflict management, teamwork, world affairs, community involvement, and religion.
Both the inaugural Global Peace Initiative—Egypt 2003 and the Global Peace Initiative—Egypt 2005 were deemed as extremely successful. Many of the delegates who attended these initiatives expressed that the experience, “changed my life forever.” The Global Peace Initiative also supports Peace Camp—a youth program open to students from ages 16 to 19 from around the world.
We invite you to consider attending one or both of the upcoming 2007 Global Peace Initiatives. A Global Peace Initiative to Russia will be held during the summer of 2007, and our third Global Peace Initiative to Egypt is scheduled for December 2007. These special missions will be formally announced in the summer of 2006.
- Global Youth Forum Humanitarian Conference:
The Global Youth Forum Humanitarian Conference (GYFHC) is a follow-up program to PTPI''s annual Global Youth Forum. The GYFHC is designed as an opportunity to enhance the experiences had at the GYF and provide an opportunity for students to meet and interface directly with people of other cultures.
This past summer''s inaugural GYFHC to South Africa was a major success as students engaged in multiple humanitarian relief projects while gaining an understanding of the local people, culture and history that created such a need.
In the summer of 2006, the GYFHC will travel to Russia with 80 students. Though this delegation is already full, we encourage you to consider this program for the summer of 2007 when we will travel to Sri Lanka.
If you have any questions about the GYFHC or would like more information, please contact youthconference@ptpi.org or call 816.531.4701.
2- Worldwilde Conferences
3- School and Classroom Program:
People to People International''s School and Classroom Program is a free service that connects teachers and their students with similar-age classrooms in other countries. Two classes form a partnership or multiple classes contribute to a single project. Students of partner classes work together on pen friend projects that expand their cultural knowledge and help them form friendships. Classes interact by exchanging letters and packages by post, and messages through teacher-supervised email accounts and private, online forums hosted by PTPI. Primary/elementary-, middle- and secondary- school classes and youth groups from all countries are welcome to participate.
To join, register here or contact classroom@ptpi.org.
4- Operation Iraqi Childen:
In an international effort to help the plight of Iraqi children, People to People International, and world-wide shipper, FedEx, are collaborating with Operation Iraqi Children, a grass-roots organization co-founded by actor and director Gary Sinise and Seabiscuit: An American Legend best-selling author Laura Hillenbrand.
The new initiative was announced in a joint press conference on Thursday, April 1, 2004. Operation Iraqi Children, which was inspired by conversations with Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers as well as by Sinise''s tour of Iraq in 2003, encourages ordinary citizens to send school supplies to Iraqi children. Collectively, the partnership''s goal is to provide every child in Iraq''s more than 1,500 schools with basic educational tools and supplies, and to have them delivered by soldiers based there.
PTPI has pledged to involve its membership to become a part of this monumental effort. "It is a distinct honor for members of our People to People International family around the world to partner with Operation Iraqi Children. Our members have a history of supporting people in need: from victims of landmines in Sri Lanka, underprivileged children in Haiti, to orphanages in Morocco." stated Mary Jean Eisenhower. "Our global network is ready to answer the call for the innocent children of this country in conflict."
Through the School Supplies Program, children can help their Iraqi counterparts by gathering school supplies in school-wide drives.
5- Global Landmine Initiative:
PTPI partnered with the United States Department of State Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement - Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, along with 30 other non-governmental organizations to make this humanitarian crisis - landmines - one of our top priorities. Mine action partners are working effectively to clear minefields, increase mine awareness, assist the survivors of landmine accidents, and develop new demining technologies. The program requires the involvement of government, private organizations and individuals working together to achieve a common objective - a mine-safe world.
For more information on the Global Landmine Initiative, please contact ptpi@ptpi.org.