Hello, my name is Fjolla Bajraktari. I am 21 years old, born and raised in the Republic of Kosovo.

As an ALI fellow for two weeks now, I feel that the program so far has absolutely changed the way I perceive the issues around the world. I believe that as an activist of building peace, this journey is helping me and the 7 other fellows shape our thoughts and beliefs for the world as it is, and how we want it to be in the future.

So far, we have encountered different leadership trainings in which we learned about dealing with conflict, policy formulation, and about our value to life, our true purpose as human beings. Throughout this period, we have had the opportunity to share opinions and as I am witnessing this, I keep realizing that our differences and similarities are making the program even more meaningful. I realize that during these moments, we are connecting our thoughts and coming to conclusions that help us make better decisions for the future: as individuals, and as contributors to enhance our communities. Never in my life have I thought that the culture of Kosovo would so nicely affiliate with the cultures of Ethiopia, India, or Pakistan. At the same time, I see that the differences we have are teaching us various kinds of methodologies to put into action for solving the conflicts in our communities.

During the program, we are also engaging in different activities that are helping us develop our skills and spiritual being even more. I must mention our visit to the United Nations in New York. Ms. Margaret Peggy Kerry (NGO liaison at the US mission to the UN) provided the tour and insight. Having Ms. Kerry share her experience was an eye-opening and an exciting moment. Later on, we had the opportunity to be part of ‘The Rachel Maddow Show’. Not only did we have the opportunity to be present in the show, but we also had the honor to personally meet and converse with her.

Having been a part of the Rachel Maddow show was one of my favorite experiences so far in the program since during the time of the show, she demonstrated dedication, true passion, confidence and an admirable commitment. And by seeing her, I was truly motivated as a woman, as a peace-builder and as an individual with goals to make a change in the community.

Some of the takeaways from these experiences were: Always go for the job you truly, truly love and see yourself in; work hard; and give all your effort on being the best you can be, without forcing it. I believe that this experience and advice, has amazingly grown my dedication even more towards a brighter future for myself, and attaining my goals.

The optimism I have for the program is strengthening its state every day. The excitement, satisfaction and commitment that I have would never be as present as it is without my friends here from 7 different places of the world. Together, we are going to present a policy memo to the State Department in which we tackle important issues of our respective countries. Additionally, we will also be working on our individual capstone projects which we will implement when we go back to our home countries.

Consequently, by the end of this program, we are going to continue being the believers and the optimists for development, and together, we truly are the future change makers.  

Hi, my name is Jamie. I am 20 years old, and I am from Mississippi. Although I have been at the Andi Leadership Institute for less than a week, I can already say that it has changed my life. As I interact with women from around the world, I learn so much about their cultures, about the conflict that they witness everyday, and the role women play in their communities. However, when I contemplate what makes their cultures so unique, I also find myself evaluating and analyzing my own. I cannot help but ask about my country’s own conflicts, how we approach conflicts both at home and abroad, and how we incorporate women into the process. I find myself realizing that while the U.S. has made great strides in the past century, we still face a long journey on the road to equality and peace. When I think about how far both the U.S. and the world has to travel, I remember:

That’s why I am here—that’s why we are all here—to gain ethical leadership skills, to understand others, and to connect to women traveling a similar path of peace building. Together we can face the journey ahead.

 This idea of “together” is one of the key lessons I have learned this week. We are a team, a unit, and a world family. In just a few days, we have entered into a space of trust and support, where we can present our own thoughts and opinions and also know they will be heard with an open-mind. We are all here to understand, to learn, and to grow together.

I want to share with you a few lessons I learned this week from the other women. My roommate’s name is Minahil, and she is from Pakistan. In one of our first conversations, I was asking about her day-to-day life, and she was asking about mine. As the discussion about how women are viewed in society progressed, I realized that so often nations and people both subject others and are subjected to stereotypes. One of the world’s greatest flaws is that preconceived notions cloud how we listen to and understand others.  

 The next lesson I would like to share involves Heni, whom you have already met. She comes from a world where conflict strikes daily as Israel fights Hamas in the Gaza strip. Air strikes, bombs, and death—these are all realities that both sides face every day. When she asked about the conflicts in my own community in Mississippi (poverty, teen pregnancy, race and gender discrimination, the education system, and sexual health), I quickly brushed them off as trivial in comparison to facing a physical war everyday. Heni, whom I have learned over the past week is incredibly wise and insightful, explained that you cannot compare conflicts. No one conflict is “more worse” than the other. They are all different and by learning about their differences, we are better able to address our own.

These are just two of many eye-opening moments of the week. Everyone sees the world through different lenses, and I love listening to how they approach their own conflicts. In just six days, these women have already changed my life. They have become my teammates, my circle of trust, and most importantly, my friends. I’m ready to see what the next two weeks hold!

My name is Heni and I am 22 years old. I want to take you with me on a journey to Holon, Israel. It is a place far away in the Middle East. It is also my home. Israel is a small place but it is of great importance to many different communities, religions, and people; and it is home to cultural, religious, and historic sites. As different as they can be, most people simply wish to live quiet and peaceful lives. The intense emotions connected to religions and histories threaten that peacefulness here. The pitch too easily becomes too intense. People are too willing to die for this place. This is the place I call home.

I played basketball on a professional team during high school when my coach first introduced me to PeacePlayers International (PPI), an organization with the mission to solve conflicts through basketball. I volunteered with PPI in 2006 as an assistant coach and it changed my life and has had an incredible influence on who I am today. When I finished high school, I did what every Israeli has to do and joined the Israeli Army to serve my country. In that time, I served as a commander for the basic training of soldiers and other commanders. That period of my life was also very meaningful and also shaped who I’ve become, but after three years in the military service, I decided to return to PPI. This organization has taught me that things can be different, that the intense violence and heightened emotions are retractable, and that the two sides of the conflict can think and feel positively about each other. In spite of everything negative that has come before, those who believe themselves enemies can become friends.

Children on both sides of the conflict grow up in a sometimes confusing reality, subjected to a lot of opinions from adults, the people in their life that are supposed to know the most. The problem is that often times these adults only see their side of the conflict, just like a fight between two children. Only after rejoining PPI did I truly see both sides of the conflict.

Six months ago I discovered the Andi Leadership Institute for Young Women (ALI) and could not wait to apply. I’m now about to travel to the program and what most interests me is to meet girls from places I never imagined I would meet anyone from (Kosovo, Pakistan, Ethiopia, India, Mississippi, and Pensylvania), to learn about different cultures, and to acquire the skills to influence those I come into contact with. I’m excited for the program and looking forward to every moment, while at the same time nervous and sad as the situation here in Israel has become more complicated and violent. To leave now is so difficult as my family and friends live under threats from the sirens and missiles. On the other side, innocent civilians are dying every day and I am always concerned for my Palestinian friends. I wonder what the other girls will think of me. Will they see me as Heni or just think of me as the “Israeli girl?” It makes me feel stressed but I still cannot wait to meet them, to hear what they think and what they feel. I know this will be life changing.

This is why I joined the program and know that it will be a success. To share with others my perspective, to hear about theirs, to learn from each other.  To gain the tools that will help me make small changes that one day will become big changes. I hope that my home Holon, Israel, my home, that amazing small place will one day change and that people will not need to die for it, but only want to live for it.