Global leaders explored how mentorship, empathy, and cross generational dialogue can strengthen peace and communities worldwide.
BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, June 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — United Planet brought together global leaders, nonprofit professionals, and community changemakers for a meaningful webinar titled “Intergenerational Peacebuilding: Wisdom Across Generations & Cultures.” The discussion explored how peacebuilding can be strengthened through relationships across generations, cultures, and lived experiences.
Moderated by Kelly Ryan, Operations Manager at United Planet, the webinar featured Jill Tracy, CEO of United Planet; Katy Hansell, United Planet Board Member and leadership consultant known as “The Impact Whisperer”; and Catalina Echavarria, nonprofit leader of Primed Community and United Planet Country Coordinator in Colombia.
The webinar focused on how intergenerational collaboration can create more empathetic, resilient, and connected communities while honoring the influence of mentors, caregivers, and community leaders who shape future generations.
Opening the discussion, Kelly Ryan emphasized the importance of peacebuilding as a daily practice rooted in connection and understanding.
“Intergenerational peacebuilding is the practice of strengthening understanding, connection, and collaboration across different age groups to create a more peaceful, empathetic, and resilient community,” said Ryan. “It is peacebuilding as a daily practice cultivated in families, classrooms, workplaces, and communities, where generations learn with and from one another.”
Jill Tracy reflected on how global experiences and community relationships have shaped her understanding of leadership and peacebuilding.
“When I think about intergenerational peacebuilding, I think about the everyday ways that we learn with and from one another across age, across culture, across lived experiences,” said Tracy. “At United Planet, I see peacebuilding as deeply relational. It’s built through listening, curiosity, and the willingness to be changed by what we hear.”
Tracy also shared how women and caregivers she encountered during her time in Paraguay and Brazil profoundly influenced her perspective on community care and leadership.
“The women that I lived and worked with in Paraguay showed so much patience, compassion, and care at a level I had never seen before,” Tracy said. “They all opened their hearts and homes to the children in their communities. It truly showed me what it means to nurture possibility in others.”
Katy Hansell highlighted the connection between personal growth, emotional regulation, and peacebuilding.
“I firmly believe, and I’ve seen it over and over again, that when we teach individuals how to regulate their inner state, we will ultimately have fewer conflicts on a global scale,” said Hansell. “Peacebuilding begins in the home. It begins in how we learn to thoughtfully choose our responses instead of simply reacting.”
Hansell also emphasized the importance of intentional leadership and presence.
“I try to extend the gift of being fully present, engaged, and intentional,” she said. “The beautiful thing about impact is that when you take action toward something you truly care about, you unleash a ripple effect that transcends far beyond your original action.”
Speaking from Medellín, Colombia, Catalina Echavarria shared how her work with vulnerable communities and youth has reinforced the importance of resilience, healing, and intergenerational understanding.
“For me, intergenerational peacebuilding is creating experiences that allow peace to span across generations,” said Echavarria. “Sustainable peace cannot be achieved by one generation alone. It requires understanding the past, healing historical wounds, and creating spaces where elders, adults, and youth can work together.”
Echavarria also spoke about the women and social leaders who inspire her work every day.
“After all the pain and suffering many of these women have experienced, they still feel motivated to fight for their communities,” she said. “I love to listen to people, care for them, and help them realize the value they have and how amazing they are.”
Throughout the webinar, the panelists discussed the importance of mentorship, storytelling, cultural exchange, and active listening in building stronger communities and encouraging mutual understanding across generations.
United Planet, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering cross cultural understanding and addressing shared global challenges across generations. It has connected more than 10,000 volunteers and interns with communities in over 40 countries since its founding in 2001.
To watch the recording of this webinar, visit United Planet’s YouTube Channel.
Mohammad Hijazi
United Planet
+1 617-874-8041
marketing@unitedplanet.org
Watch the webinar recording here
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