Gavrielle Kamen honored for organizing dialogue sessions for over 260 US, Middle East, and South Asian students via Skype
WASHINGTON | 2015 American Seed Gavrielle Kamen was named a 2016 District of Columbia top youth volunteer by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism.
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 21st year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).
Gavrielle is a junior at Georgetown Day School, which nominated her for the award. She organizes weekly dialogue sessions at her school that bring together teens from the United States, Middle East and South Asia via video-conferencing to share their experiences and perspectives.
Growing up with a mother who is a psychologist, Gavrielle says she learned the importance of honest, sincere communication in resolving human conflict.
“Understanding and communication are the most primary basis for human change,” she said. “The best way to go about creating change is for people to learn how to respect, trust and communicate.”
Gavrielle returned home from her Seeds of Peace Camp experience determined to apply what she had learned and continue to build bridges among young people in countries with deep animosities.
“I decided that the way I could help the most in my community was to have as many people as possible speak face to face with other humans their age in different regions involved in the Middle East conflict,” she said.
Using large-screen Skype technology, she began hosting weekly forums involving teens from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, as well as students at her school. Her sessions began with over 60 American participants and more than 200 from overseas.
“Together, we are learning how to empathize, and what it means to obtain peace and justice,” she said.
Gavrielle was one of 102 young leaders honored for their work this year through the The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, which comes with a $1,000 prize.
“Prudential commends each of these young volunteers for using their creativity and compassion to bring positive change to their communities,” said Prudential Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld. “We hope their stories inspire others to consider how they can make a difference, too.”
“We are pleased to honor these students not only for their exemplary acts of service, but for the powerful example they’ve set for their peers,” said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director of NASSP. “Congratulations to each of the 2016 honorees.”
About The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represents the United States’ largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteer service. The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) is the leading organization of and voice for middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and school leaders from across the United States and 35 countries around the world. Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.