About Davis Projects for Peace
On the occasion of her 100th birthday, Mrs. Kathryn Davis, an international philanthropist alumna of I-House New York, who died in 2013 at age 106, felt some urgency to spark initiatives for building prospects for peace in the world. She committed $1 million to fund one hundred $10,000 projects for peace as she believed that today’s youth – tomorrow’s leaders – ought to be challenged to formulate and test their own ideas.
Projects for Peace is an initiative that has been open to residents of International House - UC Berkeley to design grassroots projects for the summer—anywhere in the world—which promote peace and address the root causes of conflict among parties.
We encourage applicants to use their creativity to design projects and employ innovative techniques for engaging project participants in ways that focus on conflict resolution, reconciliation, building understanding and breaking down barriers that cause conflict, and finding solutions for resolving conflict and maintaining peace. Projects will be selected for funding at $10,000 each.
Congratulations to the Summer 2023 Award Recipients!
Eric Assan
Digital Literacy & Mentorship for Peace, Ghana
Dinah Lawan
Foundations of Peacebuilding, Empowerment and Political Education: Building a Voice for Indigenous Women in Areas Most Impacted by the Boko Haram Insurgency, Nigeria
Martin Ssemulugo
Hygiene & Sanitation4Peace at Kigungu Landing Site, Uganda
Previous Award Recipients
Summer 2022:
Cesar Rojas Angel
Title of project: Documentaries for reconciliation
Title of project: Teaching how to teach: Education to bring light to Honduras
Title of project: Cultivating Peace and Community in West Oakland
Summer 2020/2021:
Summer 2020 Winners (conducted in Summer 2021 due to COVID):
Sayantan Mitra “Sunny”
Title of Project: Sondhe Holo, Khelte Cholo: It's Evening, Let's Play!
Oluwagbemisola Akinspe “Gbemi”
Title of Project: The Hope Project
Summer 2019:
I-House Worldwide Winner: Sarah Lebu (Kenya)
Title of Project: First Friday: The Peaceful Side of the Street
UC Berkeley Campuswide Winner: Maha Siddiqui (U.S.A.)
Title of Project: Activism in Heart, Health, and Medicine