Peace By Piece has been established as the inter-faith youth initiative of the Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta.
Founded upon the core principles of FAMA, Peace by Piece upholds the mission “To promote respect, understanding, prayer, interaction and unity among diverse faiths in the greater Atlanta region, and to advance the influence and voice of the faith communities for the common good.” The Peace By Piece youth program provides the natural extension of FAMA, establishing a network of young leaders dedicated to upholding and teaching the FAMA ideals, youth who will provide positive leadership within the faith community - assuring continued, expanded, and improved inter-religious relations into the future.
Peace By Piece Mission:
The Peace By Piece project has been developed as an innovative experiential education program aimed at bringing youth of differing faith together for the purpose of building trust, understanding, and ultimately peace. The mission of Peace By Piece is comprised of the following principles and goals:
- Unity through the recognition and celebration of God
- Deepened understanding of ones own spiritual identity
- Appreciation for the devotion, spirit, and cultural origins of others
- Fostering of trust
- Recognition of the interconnectedness of mankind
- Creation of lasting and proactive friendships
- Development of leadership skills
Peace By Piece Structure:
Peace By Piece is comprised of two parts:
The first component is the Peace By Piece pilot program, outlined in this proposal, called the Rising Leaders Institute. It consists of a six day inter-faith leadership curriculum for primarily high school juniors. The program is set to take place either over the course of an academic year. Designed for the purpose of building trust and increased inter-faith understanding and dialogue, the Institute uses techniques in experiential education and self-expression to lead students through the ‘blocks’ of Peace By Piece, building blocks towards the creation of a proud and proactive faith community.
The second, follow-up component of Peace By Piece is the Inter-faith Leadership Network. Modeled after conventional youth group structure, the Inter-faith Leadership Network’s purpose is to provide opportunity to build upon the relationships and initiatives established through the Rising Leaders Institute (its feeder program). The Network aims to bridge the gap between experiences had at the Institute and the communities and social networks outside of the program.