Building peaceful communities at the intersection of social justice, education, and the arts to foster healing since 1999.

Collage of Genesis at the Crossroads' educational, artistic, and leadership offerings

Building peaceful communities at the intersection of social justice, education, and the arts to foster healing since 1999.

We create cross-cultural collaborative programs, models, spaces, and places to build peace.

We envision a world where cross-cultural artistic expression and collaboration serve as a catalyst for interethnic dialogue and innovation, global understanding, healing and world peace. Education and humanitarian-centric business initiatives sustain and further those bridges while nurturing global leadership.

Together, we foster a just world for all, honoring our collective humanity.

Healing is a pre-condition for building peace anywhere and everywhere.
Without it, peace is nothing more than a pipe dream.

The Anatomy of a Peacebuilding Movement

The DNA is made up of Cross-Cultural Collaboration

The Backbone and Skeleton are Education

The Arts Circulate throughout to Heal (Music being the Heartbeat)

Peacebuilding is the entire Field of Vision

Social Justice & Human Rights our Focal Point

Leadership, Social Entrepreneurship, and Sustainability the Connective Tissue

Upcoming Events

Sounds of Healing Banner Header Image

Sounds of Healing™

Summer 2023 Tour
Washington, DC and Chicago

Wednesday, June 21st

Washington, DC
Capitol Hill for the US Congress
Rayburn House Office Building
5:30 – 7:30 PM with VIP reception to follow

Invitation-only event

Thursday, June 22nd

Chicago, IL
Francis W. Parker School
Diane and David B Heller Auditorium
4:30 – 6:30 PM

$125 VIP · Includes VIP concert seating, dinner with artists, name in program

$35 Adults · General admission

$20 Students and Seniors

Tickets & registration opening soon! Stay tuned…

Immerse Yourself in Art

Timeline Highlights

  1. 1999
  2. Hamsa-Fest & Saffron Caravan

    Music festival showcasing the Middle East and N. Africa transitions to full-weekend outdoor music festival with national/international tour of original finale.

    Performances include United Nations 60th Anniversary and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

  3. Art of Peace

    A series of arts-education literacy programs for public schools and arts-education leadership for universities exploring character choices and outcomes, personal/cultural history and understanding through musical theater, dance and drumming workshops.

  4. Iraqi Plastics Art Gallery

    Silent auction for group of Baghdadi artists who lost their homes and galleries due to war; sale of their art at Genesis festival in Chicago enabled us to return proceeds to the artists and their families while raising awareness of the plight of artists in active war zones.

    Learn More…
  5. Peace Quilt Program

    400+ Chicago-area and 150+ LA-area children designed quilts with their images for world peace for Iraqi children abroad. Exhibited at Chicago Children’s Museum and LA’s Museum of Tolerance

    Refugee women’s quilting co-op at the Genesis Peace Hub’s Social Entrepreneurship Center.

    Learn More…
  6. Saffron Caravan

    Creation of Saffron Caravan, Genesis’ Professional World Music Ensemble with WFMT live global broadcast.

    From 2007-2019, performances and artist-in-residency programs throughout the world; roundtables on music and conflict transformation.

    Learn More…
  7. Arm Them with Instruments

    Humanitarian program brings gently used instruments and professional music education to at-risk youth living through conflict and/or challenged circumstances channeling potentially destructive passion into constructive activities.

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  8. The Love the Questions Salon Series

    A multi-segmented salon series explores thought provoking inquiries augmented through art.

    Learn More…
  9. Genesis Academy Summer Institute

    Pre-university Chicago students join with others from areas of conflict. They love and learn together in four curricular areas:

    • Heroes and Human Rights
    • Music and Peacebuilding
    • Environmental Sustainability
    • Peace Journalism.
    Learn More…
  10. Sounds of Healing™

    Program combines Saffron Caravan with Genesis youth musicians (Genesis Academy Summer Institute graduates). First programs out of virtual Peace Hub during the pandemic.

    2022 – 2024: Live, in-person programs

    • Chicagoland, DC, Philly, and NYC
    • Global Tour to E and W Europe, the ME, Africa, and Latin America
    Learn More…
  11. Genesis Peace Hub

    Physically place-making our legacy piece. Institutionalizes our cross-cultural collaborative model. Designed as a convener, incubator, catalyst, and accelerator for building peaceful communities.

    In additional to all Genesis arts and cultural programs and educational ones, it features a:

    Learn More…
  12. Onwards

Photo credits to Megan Bearder Photography, Michelle Zousmer and Wendy Sternberg