In the history of mankind we have not managed to create sustainable world peace yet. Perhaps we need fresher, less jaded, more forward-thinking and guileless minds to help find the solution. Perhaps we should ask our youth for their ideas. After all, they are our next generation of leaders. Why not engage their optimism, ingenuity and dynamism now?

The World Peace Caravan is doing just that. A global peace movement that will culminate in a 12 day camel caravan from Petra, Jordan to Jerusalem in December, 2015, the World Peace Caravan is selecting a delegation of 12 Youth Ambassadors, ages 16-24, from a worldwide pool of candidates to spearhead the caravan. Furthermore, they are fostering an online Youth Community to provide young people everywhere a platform through which to share their ideas, voice their opinions, educate and be educated. The Youth Ambassadors and members of the Youth Community will participate in a unique, solutions-driven, project-based, global educational program based upon some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Young people the world over will be collaborating on tackling such lofty goals as eradicating poverty and hunger, ensuring environmental sustainability, and attaining healthy lives for all.

Three separate times, Gary Young, CEO of Young Living Essential Oils, dreamt of leading a long caravan of camels through the desert on a journey for peace. The camels, ridden by people of all faiths, came from every direction and merged into one united stream. After the third dream, so vivid it was almost jarring, Gary decided to tell his wife and two of his closest friends about it. Uncannily, they each responded with the exact same words, “This you must do.”

And so began the plans for the inaugural World Peace Caravan, 2015. Gary had recognized the trail that the caravan had traveled in his dreams as the Ancient Frankincense Trail in Arabia, since he had explored the storied trail many times on his travels there to research frankincense for his essential oils company. 3,000 years ago, the Queen of Sheba journeyed 1,400 miles with 750 camels on the ancient trade route to bring her peace offerings to King Solomon in Jerusalem. It was decided that a modern day journey for peace be created that would invite people of all cultures, faiths, and backgrounds to come together on a caravan for peace that will retrace the steps of this earliest peace movement along parts of the Frankincense Trail.

The World Peace Caravan 2015 will begin in Petra, Jordan on December 15, 2015 and end in Jerusalem on December 26. The caravan will be spearheaded by the 12 member World Peace Caravan Youth Delegation and anchored by two landmark events, a two day World Peace Caravan Peace and Health Conference on the Dead Sea in Jordan and a World Peace Caravan Concert for Peace in Jerusalem. After a pre-launch celebration in Petra on the 15th, participants will caravan through Jordan by camel, horse or foot for four days and nights, camping along the way while exchanging multi-cultural activities including music, dance and educational seminars and exploring historical and religious sites.

The caravan will break on December 20 for a high-level, interactive WPC Peace and Health Conference at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre on the shore of the Dead Sea in Jordan on December 21 and 22. The conference of invited international peace advocates will focus on health, education, and the role of women and youth in peacemaking.

On December 23, the caravan will cross the border into the Palestine Authority for a visit to Jericho and a two day trek through the Judean desert, arriving in Bethlehem on December 25. On Saturday, December 26, the caravan will culminate with a Peace Walk into Jerusalem and the blockbuster World Peace Caravan Concert for Peace. Internationally renowned musical artists will mix with musicians from around the globe for a night of once-in-a-lifetime performances at the new state-of-the art Jerusalem Arena. The evening’s festivities will be broadcast and streamed around the world.

For more information, visit www.WorldPeaceCaravan.org

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