FiLMS for World Peace is back from summer break. Unfortunately, the world went a bit crazy this summer from ISIS to Furgeson…need we say more? As activist filmmakers seeking to empower peace movements, we found the negative news hard to follow. We don’t view our mission as useless idealism. Promoting people power is very real…so are the disappointments. There are moments when we step forward, moments when we step back and others when we totally shift gears. We are filmmakers, activists and educators. As we continue to process the distressful events of this summer, we find solace looking back at our first collaborative film project with then student filmmaker Ibrahim Arar. As FiLMS for World Peace coached Ibrahim through the process of identifying his theme and finding his voice we rediscovered one of the key sentiments of not only Islam but of all faiths…”Love for your brother what you love for yourself”. However, if we look at the Middle East today it may be hard to remember that at the core of the monotheistic faiths was a pure concept of kindness and love. Now I offer a link to a short documentary we co-wrote, directed and produced with Ibrahim Arar. An official selection of the 2012 Doha Tribeca Film Festival the story that was filmed during the summer of Arab Spring in 2011. Our goal was to capture an authentic story of Arab youth in a historic moment of time just being themselves. FiLMS for World Peace was honored to be given access to these charming yet sometimes shy characters as they embarked on a journey and a moment that would echo a greater truth in a world that now needs to be reminded. As an organization, it reminds us to shift gears when we need to recharge our own belief in humanity and to never forget our roots as educators who just happened to discover film through the back door.