Breaking Walls takes a unique approach to youth empowerment, leadership and empathy by addressing four challenges youth in the 21st Century face:
SOCIAL UNREST
Amid chaos, conflict and societal pressures, young men and women struggle for a sense of normalcy, control and the ideals they believe are right. As they navigate towards the bright, happy futures they desire, their choices are sometimes inspirational, sometimes negative and even self-destructive. Breaking Walls offers youth the opportunity to demonstrate that coming-of-age and activism positively define and shape individual lives.
INTOLERANCE
As government officials, community leaders and social media push reactionary intolerance in the form of racist, religious and ideological bating, Breaking Walls offers youth the opportunity to collaborate as empathetic, proactive allies and activists in the change-making and peace-building processes.
PEER PRESSURE
Today’s youth continually face “Haters & Fakes” in schools, churches, neighborhoods, and in the ubiquitous “Everyone.” “Haters” resent those youth they see as possessing a life plan and consistently challenge that upward, forward progress. “Fakes” attach themselves to positive, empowered youth and attempt to reroute their energy to serve a hidden agenda. Through reflective, creative and mufti-disciplinary writing and performing, breaking walls encourages young students to discover their values and identity and to deepen their understanding of and compassion for others; and, to use the insights, skills and tools developed in our initiative as they transition into leadership positions.
LIFE IN A “VIRTUAL” WORLD
The influence, proliferation and immediacy of social media blurs boundaries of right and wrong, provides a false shield against consequences and repercussion, and pits the lure of notoriety against the restraint of common sense and decency. breaking walls demonstrates that social media can’t replace face-to-face dialogue and fosters the understanding that a personal profile not only reflects their chosen perception of themselves, but it determines their perception by others.
FUTURE PLANS
Breaking Walls is considering future partnerships with youth in Santiago, Berlin, Belfast, Sarajevo, Cape Town and Polokwane City, South Africa during 2018 through 2020.