Volunteering with Tree Planting and Healing Meals in New Jersey

On April 24, 2021 members of Youth and Students for Peace (YSP) in New Jersey attended two different volunteer opportunities. In the morning a couple of members joined the Tree Treasures in Newark project where sixty volunteers of various groups came together to plant twenty-five trees in the City of Newark in and around Nat Turner Park. The project was a collaboration of the City of Newark, One Tree Planted and the NJ Tree Foundation.

In the afternoon, representing the partnership of YSP and Y Service of North Jersey, seven volunteers took part in Healing Meals – cooking for cancer patients and other patients and their families. The Healing Meals organization members and volunteers provide nutritious, home-cooked meals for those in need and this affords a great opportunity for volunteers to offer their compassionate care, even if only for a few hours.

One YSP member, Sean Corona, who volunteered for both the morning and afternoon projects expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to take part and assures the staff, “I am always ready to serve.” PHOTOS

Earth Day Online Youth Discussion

On April 24, 2021, International Association of Youth and Students for Peace USA hosted an Online Youth Discussion with Dr. Seung-Ho Lee to celebrate International Mother Earth Day. Dr. Seung-Ho Lee spoke on the work he was doing in North Korea with reforestation and at the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) to support conservation of the unique biological and cultural resources in the area. He spoke at length of all the great work they can do by investing in this area, and what it could mean for the unification of North and South Korea. To read the full event report and see Dr. Lee’s answers to our audiences’ questions from the chat CLICK HERE.

Shine City back at Lake Mead

On April 3, 2021, Shine City Project returned for a service project at Lake Mead in Nevada. With their 5 volunteers this time they had the opportunity to ride a boat to reach their clean up destination! The volunteers made their way to the Las Vegas Boat Harbor at Lake Mead where they met Liz and Bob, a married couple of 41 years who are staff members for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. This extraordinary couple were the guides for the clean up project for the day. The volunteer group was tasked with cleaning up litter from Hideaway Cove. In order to access the cove they traveled about 45 minutes by boat.

Reaching the shore near their destination, everyone was equipped with cleaning tools then continued their journey afoot. Walking along the shore, an assortment of bottles, cans and a variety of balls were collected. The largest item retrieved was the frame of a leftover pop-up tent! After the clean up everything collected was then loaded onto the boat.

On the way back to the marina they had a quick break at the floating restroom, and got to visit the Hoover Dam! Click HERE to see the project photos.

World YSP Assembly and International S!NERGY

An international online event was held on April 17, 2021 by IAYSP International in South Korea as a two-part program with audience members tuning in from all IAYSP’s seven regions. The first half was the World Youth and Students Rally of Hope where famous singers and social figures gave performances and demonstrations then answered questions from young audience members about pursuing their passions and what advice they had for someone reaching for their dreams.

The second part of the program was the International S!NERGY Competition. Four of the seven Regional winners were selected to have their presentation shown and voted on for the event. The winners who placed were Mr. Oscar Ruiz from Nicaragua with his “Arsenic Degrading Bacteria” Project who took 2nd place with a prize of $2,000 USD, and 1st place went to Ms. Rica B. Marfil of the Philippines with her “Nurturing Childs’ Talents” Project and received a prize of $5,000 USD.

To watch the event recording CLICK HERE

To see all the regional winner projects and support their cause CLICK HERE

Riverside Property Clean Up in New Jersey

On March 27, 2021 a riverside property clean up was co-organized by the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP), Ocean Tribe, Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP), and the Clifton Family Church youth group. A total of 45 volunteers participated in the project that was in Little Ferry, New Jersey. 

The property that was cleaned  was next to the Ocean Tribe center and was recently purchased by a church group that plans to build a new church building on the property. There are also plans for part of this riverside property to be turned into a park with a boardwalk along the Hackensack River. Years of trash and equipment had accumulated on the land so Branch Gaarder, the Ocean Tribe Coordinator, offered to help clean the property with some volunteers. Ocean Tribe supplied a large dumpster for the clean up and metals and plastics were sorted so that they could be properly recycled.  Along with separated piles of metals and plastic, a total of 20 cubic yards of trash was put into the dumpster. 

Click HERE to see photos.

Shine City Clean Up and Tree Planting

On March 13, 2021 Shine City Project volunteers travelled to Callville Bay, a waterway located on the northwestern side of Lake Mead. Callville Bay is a popular area for those who enjoy Lake Mead by camping or boating. Working with Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NRA) staff and other volunteers, the Shine City team helped to pick up litter in the area. A lot of these items that were picked up were food packaging, as well as glass bottles. With five Shine City Project volunteers the group was able to fill six bags of trash!

On March 27, 2021, Shine City Project traveled to Summerlin to Angel Park for a service project with Get Outdoors Nevada! After being greeted by staff of Get Outdoors Nevada, as well as Ward 2 Councilwoman, Victoria Seaman, the 3 Shine City volunteers set off into the park to complete the day’s tasks. Two helped with tree planting while the third volunteer helped to clean up around the park. Park staff had already placed trees inside holes prior to the start of the service project so all that was left to do was to help shovel dirt in the remaining gaps around the trees, as well as placing a nice, thick layer of mulch on top of everything. With the combined efforts of all the staff and volunteers who were present, both within and outside Shine City Project, 17 trees were planted! Additionally, 84 pounds of trash was collected from the park.

Shine City Project is Back!

On February 27, 2021 the Shine City volunteers helped Project GREEN: Friends of Pittman Wash, an environmental non-profit. The group cleaned and maintained the trails of Pittman Wash while also learning about its unique desert riparian ecosystem. You can read their story HERE.

MLK 40 Days of Service in Bay Area California

For the 40 Days of Service commemorating MLK Day, members of International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP) worked with Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) and many other organizations and groups on a large mural project in Oakland, CA. The project concluded on February 27, 2021 with a District Councilmember and 100+ volunteers. Read the Full Story Here.

Interfaith Harmony Week Online Discussion/Forum

In recognition of World Interfaith Harmony week, which is recognized annually in the first week of February, International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP) co-hosted an online discussion/forum with Dinner Table Talk (DTT) podcast hosts as moderators. Two guest speakers representing the Islamic faith and Hindu faith had the opportunity to share about their religions and wonderful insight on how the role of religion helps with peace. READ ARTICLE.

Regional S!NERGY and President's Volunteer Service Award

The Regional S!NERGY competition was held online on January 16, 2021. Four groups from the USA and Canada presented their projects to a panel of judges and live audience watching the live stream. Both judges and audience members voted for the competition. The grant prizes for this regional competition was $1,000 for 1st place and $500 for 2nd place. Thanks to one of the event’s judges, the 3rd and 4th place honorable mentions both received $250 each from Women’s Federation for World Peace International in New York. READ FULL STORY

S!NERGY X USA and 2020 Youth Heroes' Awards

On December 26, 2020 Youth and Students for Peace USA (YSP) held a National S!NERGY event online in partnership with the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP). Three young people presented their ideas and project proposals to a panel of guest judges, along with an audience watching the livestream. Two young adults were also recognized with the Youth Heroes’ Award for their work that has positively impacted society. READ MORE

S!NERGY X Canada

The first S!NERGY event in Canada took place over Zoom on December 5th, 2020 which saw around 60 audience members tuning in to the contest. The event began with three presentations and the judges’ comments followed by votes from the judges and the live audience. The word synergy involves the interaction of multiple actors producing a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects and that is what happened with the presentations given and the discussions that followed from the judges as well as the audience members.

The presentations included Rafaela Diaz-Byers and Tabitha Wilson from Arrêter Exploitation Hub (Montreal Initiative), Mariam Ali, Sana Agarwal and Tad Wu from Through Their Eyes (McGill University Club), and Sasha Tarasova from UniteIntoOne (Interfaith Initiative in Toronto).

The panel of judges involved Joanne Viau – a social worker in Montreal, Dr. Franco Famularo – President of UPF-Canada and Hon. Emmanuella Lambropoulos – Member of Parliament for St-Laurent, Montreal.

Arrêter ExploitationHub, an initiative that brings awareness about Sexual Exploitation online,  won first place ($400). Through Their Eyes, a university student group that sponsors families in developing countries and brings awareness of the orphan crisis, placed second ($300). Finally, #UniteIntoOne, a program that plans to bring together people of various religious groups to do service work, followed in on third ($200).

YSP Canada is currently being led by a 3 person team with Koshin Young, John Koester and Francois Lacroix. Based on the foundation of a successful first Canada-wide YSP event, the team has expressed expansion plans. By the beginning of 2021, it plans to publish an official website, become a recognized charity group with the Canadian government, and expand the team two-fold. 

The young canadian trio thanks those who joined in on the live event, and hopes to see an even bigger turnout next year!

The playback of the event can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM1eQpmms0k

International Day of Peace Online Youth Discussion

On September 20, 2020 International Association for Youth and Students for Peace held an online youth discussion with three guest panelists of various backgrounds to also share about their work in promoting peace. The panelists were Doha Sabbagh, a leader in civil society initiatives in Lebanon; Makaya Revell, the founder of the Marie Mambu Makaya Foundation and orphanage in Democratic Republic of Congo; and Barbara Wien, Sr Professorial Lecturer at the School of International Service.

The online event was informative and eye opening for listeners with many “golden nuggets of wisdom about peace” noted Naria Gaarder, who emceed for the event.

Those who tuned in for the event also had the opportunity to present questions to the panelists and participate in group discussions in breakout rooms.

To watch the recording of the event click HERE.

New Jersey River Clean Up

Partnering with Ocean Tribe, International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP) in New Jersey organized a river clean up service project on August 27, 2020. The service project was held in Little Ferry, New Jersey  along the Hackensack River. A total of eighteen youth and young adults joined from the Generation Peace Academy (GPA) and the New Jersey CARP college club. 

Kayaks, canoes and trash collecting tools were sponsored by Ocean Tribe so that the volunteers could move on the water and collect hard to reach, floating litter along the shoreline. Other volunteers picked up trash among the reeds and property fence lines in the neighborhood, while others helped to clear away debris to get access to large pieces of junk along the shore. After two hours of cleaning, the volunteers collected 5 large bags of trash, a giant block of styrofoam, an old shopping cart, and 2 unidentifiable rusty pieces of machinery. 

The volunteers expressed how being able to use kayaks and canoes made cleaning the river a fun and enjoyable experience. IAYSP and Ocean Tribe plan to collaborate in the future to create more river and waterway clean up opportunities for local youth to take part in. River Clean Up Photos

Shine City Team Cleans Historic Harrison House Site

After a long hiatus from their consistent, weekly clean ups, Shine City Project (SCP), an affiliate organization of International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IASYP), held a clean up project with some of their volunteers at the historic Harrison House in Las Vegas, NV. Click HERE to read the full article by the SCP director.

S!NERGY Online

On the 25th of July, 2020, International Association of Youth and Students for Peace USA (IAYSP USA) held a S!NERGY event online through video conferencing that hosted over fifty participants from across the United States and Canada. Four presenters shared their projects on the theme  “Healing America” to the tuned in audience and three judges.

First place of $500 went to the Students and Teachers Emergency Grant project, 2nd place of $300 went to The Syrup Project, 3rd place of $200 went to A Culture Without Racism presentation, and 4th place of $100 went to UBI: A Proposal For How to Help Create a Better Society. All the projects were created and led by young adults, and were inspiring to hear. 

IAYSP USA had the privilege of hosting Dr. Drissa Kone, Faculty of Unification Theological Seminary and local minister at Belvedere Family Community; Dr. Luonne Rousse, National Co-Chairman of American Clergy Leadership Conference; and Mr. Naokimi Ushiroda, National President of IAYSP USA. The judges gave very well informed and constructive feedback to all of the presenters. 

While the votes for all the presenters were being tallied, young musician Jason Melchiorre sang two songs in honor of the theme for the event. Overall, it was a well received event, with many of the participants lauding the quality of the presentations and the overall flow of the event. 

We want to thank all our sponsors for their support in providing grants to these amazing young people striving to make a difference in their communities!

Online Interfaith Youth Forum

On May 30, 2020 International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP) in the USA hosted 20 participants representing Christianity, Islam, Sikh, and Unification for an hour-long facilitated roundtable discussion, Interfaith Youth Forum. The discussion topic was “How young leaders in faith communities are managing youth-related activities through COVID-19.” Most participants were youth leaders/pastors from 6 different communities across the Northeast corridor, joined by accompanying youth members. 

The discussion was engaging, with many sharing practical insights about handling youth activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and appreciating diverse perspectives. After the event, a survey was circulated to solicit participants’ feedback. Everyone who completed the survey noted favorably to attending another Interfaith Youth Forum event hosted by IAYSP in the future.

Peace Seminar Hosted Online for Youth

Youth and Students for Peace (YSP) in the USA held its first online seminar amid the Covid 19 social distancing through video conference with much success. Held on Saturday, April 25, 2020, the online seminar came about when Naria Gaarder, the National Program Coordinator for YSP USA, was asked by Stephanie Dias of the Manhattan Family Church Youth and Young Adult Ministry to give an online Peace Seminar to their High Schoolers and young adults. Click HERE for the full story.

Home Bound Service during Social Distancing

Finding ways to continue doing service projects during the Coronavirus social distancing can be challenging, but can be a way to become creative and innovative. To encourage young people in communities to still find ways to serve, Youth and Students for Peace started an online challenge for people to do an act of service for their family or housemates while being homebound. From March 23-29, 2020 those who participated posted on Facebook and Instagram various acts of serving another. Click HERE to read more.

National S!nergy Event in Newark, NJ

Youth and Students for Peace (YSP) is proud to present S!NERGY, a competition for students and young adults to present their ideas and projects which promote peace, sustainability and better societies, and focuses to raise and empower young people to make a change in their communities. The very first S!NERGY event was held on December 20 at the Essex County College in Newark, New Jersey, where winners received a grant of up to $500 along with an equal amount toward a non-profit of their choice. Click HERE for the full story.