World Jam

Testimonials

"The Jam is a place of love, a moment in one’s life when you grow and stretch your imagination of what can be and what needs to be. It is a place where the personal and the political get married. It produces super heroes for a better world. The Jam inspires some of the world’s greatest change agents to expand their horizons and sends them off rejuvenated with hope and determination.”

— Evon Peter, 26, Chief, Neetsai Gwich’in Tribe, Arctic Village, Alaska

"The Jam is a place where I can truly reconnect with who I am and with my core values. Every person at the Jam rebuilds my own passion, hope and love. Not only have I found many friends and future collaborators at World Jams, I found my greatest partner, my husband. With him, I’ve been able to build a life, a family, a community, a world based on the values and collective experiences I’ve been so fortunate to absorb and gather at the Jams."

— Enei Begaye Peter, 25, Black Mesa Water Coalition, Arizona, USA

“After I was shot twice, and my boyfriend was killed, I was fast losing hope. I needed to re-learn how to love and forgive even while living in a sea of hatred. The World Jam and the angels there helped to save my spirit, taught me how to love again, inspired me and gave me faith during a week I spent in heaven. Thank you for giving birth to this new hope in me, for reminding me how to dream again.”

— Faten Olwan, 24, Media Coordinator, Office of the Prime Minister, Palestine

"This experience humanized the stories I’d previously heard only through the news. I now recognize that the world and the people working to make our communities healthy and sustainable are not so distant. The Jammers have truly inspired me. Their determination, passion, strength and struggles have and will continue to impact my work as an indigenous activist. It has been a fantastic environment in which to grow and open a new scope of reality in my work and my life."

— Cathy Rexford, 24, Alaska Native Education Program, Future Alaska Native Educator Network, & Iñuit Circumpolar Youth Conference, Alaska, USA

"In my work for the freedom of Tibet, I personally undergo much struggle and violence. The Jam brought me face to face with other young social activists who have shown tremendous courage in the worst of times and who continue to work. They inspired me. I am not alone. I am recharged. Today, I am strong: with 30 other brothers and sisters who are standing with me for a better world."

— Tenzin Tsundue, 29, Tibetan Youth Congress & Friends of Tibet, Dharmasala, India

"In Nigeria, the hopes of millions have been pinned on me. Everything I do is under the spotlight. If they want to sell papers, they put me on the cover. If they want to win an election, they ask for my endorsement. Where does someone like me go when we need a safe place to be caught learning? To renew, deepen the foundation of our work, and sharpen our focus? To share experiences, lessons and build relationships with others that can advance our thinking, approach and capacity? We go to the YES! Jam, which gives us all that and so much more."

— Hafsat Abiola, 27, Founder, Kudirat INitiative for Democracy (KIND), Nigeria

"As an activist we focus so much on healing the pain and conflict around us that we never get a chance to heal the pain inside our own lives, to grow as individuals with integrity and strength of spirit with healthy bodies full of energy to dedicate to our work. Thank you YES! for a wonderful time. My heart has opened to the possibility of a place for spirit in my work. This camp through me will reach hundreds of young people. YES!"

—Karun Koernig, 25, Manager, Environmental Youth Alliance, Vancouver, Canada

"For me, the Jam was a healing process. I will carry the smiles, the laughter, the songs and the music through the challenging times that will inevitably come. Each person in the Jam touched my soul in the most profound ways imaginable."

—Sharon Rosenberg, 29, Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information, Jerusalem, Israel

"I cannot believe how the Jam impacted me as a human being. I have been to many youth gatherings, conferences, summits, and meetings, but this one was really different! I learned many things. I realized that, as a social worker, it is necessary to give time to reflection and self-retrospection. Furthermore, I realized that in order to achieve full healing, processing of experiences must be done collectively. I look forward to imparting the lessons I learned at the Jam to my family, organization and community."

—Jennifer Awingan, 30, Asia-Pacific Indigenous Youth Network, Cordillera, Philippines

"This week has been a journey to self-discovery, uncovering inner thoughts and feelings. This Jam was about bringing that change in myself so I can continue to make a difference in the world."

—Rajendra Mulmi, 25, Youth Initiative, Kathmandu, Nepal

"The Jam gave me a light which I will use to try to enlighten others."

—Amir Farmanesh, 24, Iran Center for Future Research & United Nations Environment Program/Regional Office for Asia and Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand

"Physically, I was born 23 years ago. But socially, I was born during the past week that I spent with such incredible young activists from all over the world. Meeting and sharing with like-minded people was a wonderful experience. I came to this Jam alone, but I am taking them with me as I go home."

—Rana Bilal Ahmad, 23, Youth Alliance for Human Rights, Punjab, Pakistan