Students organize peace-building conference

Students work on an icebreaker exercise at the Open Peacebuilding and Leadership Conference. [Photos by Peter Huynh]

More than 50 students from 14 local high schools – including Annandale, Falls Church, Justice, and Woodson – learned how to become community leaders and peace builders at a student-organized conference Dec. 14 at the James Lee Community Center.

The goal of the Open Peacebuilding and Leadership Conference is to equip youths with the skills so they can set up their own initiatives, says Xuan Huynh, a student at Woodson who spearheaded the event. “Our hope is that the initiatives will incorporate peace-building regardless of their fields.”

Peacebuilding Conference participants, with Xuan Huynh in front in the center.

The students participated in a variety of activities aimed at fostering teamwork, communications, and creative and critical thinking.

Students considered various scenarios and how leaders should respond. In one example, they were told their city was hit by a devastating hurricane, with many residents evacuated and others left homeless. They discussed how to rebuild their city and better prepare for future disasters.

Other exercises focused on culture shock and how to benefit from diversity, leadership at both a local and international level, navigating difficult situations, and creating an inclusive work space.


Participants heard from speakers Erin Keeley, an engineer and technology executive; Bridget Moix, U.S. executive director of Peace Direct; and Zainab Mohsini, an immigrants’ and women’s rights activist who plans to run for Congress.

The Open Peacebuilding and Leadership Conference was sponsored by the Annandale-Mason Roundtable, Annandale Rotary Club, Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, and the Alliance for Peacebuilding.


At the end of the conference, students were given a take-home kit with ideas and practical advice for setting up a club or initiative in their own school or community, which Xuan hopes will incorporate peace-building concepts. She plans to build on the success of the first Open Peacebuilding and Leadership Conference and make it an annual event.