In October, Pope Francis published his third encyclical, Fratelli Tutti (Brothers and Sisters All). For those not versed in papal encyclicals, they're significant communications from the Pope on particular aspects of Catholic doctrine, though they may speak to a broader audience than just Catholics. This Pope’s previous encyclical, Laudato si’, is a widely-read, profound, and pioneering statement on the ravages of climate change and our need to act, which has inspired numerous new initiatives and collaborations.

But an encyclical about brotherhood honestly sounded a little mundane to me. I sat back and started skimming, expecting a prophetic but predictable exhortation to love and neighborliness. By the end, I was quite literally at the edge of my seat, reading and re-reading portions. This wasn't prophetic, it was something better: real, relevant and actionable.

Meet Amira Abouhussein, Program Manager and Conflict Resolution Liaison at the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy. In between frequent trips around the world for her peacebuilding work, Amira contributed her beautiful energy and passion to helping us design and pilot the Interfaith Youth Innovators Summit last month.

On January 29th, in the midst of a DC snowstorm, an interfaith, intergenerational group of friends and strangers gathered at Church of the Holy City to talk about the power of young people to lead change. Along with co-hosts Peace First, FaithJustice Foundation, and the Swedenborg Center, we were thrilled to welcome Eric Dawson, Founder and CEO of Peace First and author of Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World, and Yasmine Arrington, Peace First Fellow and Founder and Executive Director of ScholarCHIPS, to share their wisdom.

We’re excited to announce our first DC event, Putting Peace First: 7 Commitments to Change the World, in collaboration with Peace First, Swedenborg Center, and FaithJustice Foundation. Join us at Church of the Holy City on January 29 at 6 pm to talk about how DC faith communities can support young people to change our city. For 25 years, Peace First has been helping young people change the world. Come hear from Peace First founder Eric Dawson and DC’s own young changemaker and Peace First Fellow, Yasmine Arrington, about how young people can lead change.