Our Model For Peace

Sarus promotes peace on the basis of four pillars: communication, service, inquiry, and leadership.

Communication

Without compassionate and diplomatic communication, true peace and mutual understanding is impossible. We empower students to communicate successfully through a special process we call the community meeting. Community meetings are a time for Sarus participants to create a place where honest perceptions and feelings about themselves, others, and their recent experiences can be shared. In the process, participants learn to discover themselves.

Service

Our students collaborate on mentally and physically challenging service projects. Students come together through these new and challenging experiences. Through service, they learn cooperation and empathy. They are also able to see the product of their service at the end. Service also allows them the opportunity to work closely with underserved communities.

Leadership

Peace must come from all levels of society, but especially from the top. Through a rigorous application process, we admit future leaders of the two countries in a diversity of fields. Our program is thoughtfully structured to give students leadership and ownership of the program every step of the way. As waves of alumni reach the upper echelons of society in their respective fields, they will affect public opinion and policies.

Inquiry

Critical thinking, curiosity, and open-mindedness are essential for overcoming the conflicts of the past and solving the cross-border problems of the 21st century. Students conduct independent study projects on a topic of their choice on the other country. Throughout the program, students are encouraged to ask and explore challenging questions and develop innovative solutions for deep-rooted problems.