A First Breath After Years of Fear
“For many of these young people, war has taken their breath long before it took anything else,” said global humanitarian and communications leader Kathleen Hessert, who helped shape the initiative and is also the founder of KKU. “Project Oxygen gives them the space — and the safety — to breathe again, to see one another clearly, and to imagine a future they can build together.”
Project Oxygen’s manifesto, “We Breathe. We Build. We Begin.” centers on one essential idea: breath is the beginning of everything — courage, truth, connection, and change.
Anticipating participants will arrive carrying grief, exhaustion, disrupted sleep, and the emotional weight of conflict, the program is intentionally designed to meet them at that starting point — with trauma‑informed dialogue, shared human experience, and opportunities to speak and be heard.
This vision echoes the call of Pope Francis, who has consistently reminded the world that young people are not merely spectators of history but its protagonists. As he has said, “Young people are not only the future of the world; they are its present.” He has also encouraged them to live with courage and hope, reminding us that “we need courageous young people who are not afraid to dream and to build a better world.” In that spirit, Project Oxygen seeks to create the conditions where young people affected by conflict can rediscover their voice, breathe again, and begin shaping the future together.
From Breath to Action
During Project Oxygen’s May 31-June 5 activation in Rome, each teen will design a concrete peace project to implement in their home community, supported by a long‑term global mentorship network. “This experience proves what we’ve long believed: young people are ready to reshape their future today, not just wait for tomorrow,” said Taylor Thigpen, KKU Deputy Director. Organizers are also exploring additional support to provide travel grants for participants with limited resources and seed funding to help youth activate their projects in the local communities.
Program elements include:
- Dialogue sessions using proven conflict‑transformation and middle‑ground frameworks
- Leadership, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement workshops
- Media literacy training to help youth navigate information in times of conflict
- Cultural immersion experiences in Rome and Vatican City
A sustained global youth network for collaboration and continued impact
“Breathing again is the first step,” Hessert said. “Acting together is the next.”
Teens aged 15-18 are all welcome to apply. Simply visit the application here.
A Generation Refusing to Inherit Hatred
The teens behind O2 come from communities where the air has been “heavy — with fear, with anger, with silence.” Many have lived through nights lit by explosions instead of stars, waited for messages that came, or learned to hold their breath without meaning to. Yet they are united by a shared refusal to repeat the patterns that stole childhoods from them and generations before them.
“We didn’t choose the conflicts we were born into. But we are choosing what comes next,” said 16-year-old KKU student ambassador Eldar Cholii.
According to organizers, “youth are the breath after fear, the light after darkness, the beginning after the ending.”
A Global Call to Support Youth‑Led Peace
Project Oxygen is not asking the world to save these young people. They are asking the world to make space for them to save what they can.
Supporters can help by:
- Providing funding to expand O2’s reach and sustain youth‑led peace projects
- Volunteering time or expertise, from mentorship to facilitation to project development
- Connecting teens with leaders, organizations, and innovators who can help bring their visions to life
“These young people are not the leaders of tomorrow,” Hessert said. “They are the leaders of right now — and the world must make space for them to breathe, to speak, and to shape what comes next.”
About Project Oxygen (O2)
Project Oxygen is a global youth peace initiative rooted in the belief that connection is a choice and peace is a daily practice. Through immersive gatherings, cross‑border collaboration, and youth‑designed community projects, O2 empowers teens to rewrite the narratives they inherited and build a future defined not by conflict, but by courage, creativity and compassion.
About Scholas Occurrentes
Scholas Occurrentes is an international educational movement created by Pope Francis that seeks to build a “culture of encounter” among young people around the world. Present in more than 20 countries and connecting hundreds of thousands of schools, universities, and communities, Scholas brings together youth from diverse cultures, religions, and social backgrounds through dialogue, education, sports, and the arts. Its programs empower young people to listen to one another, transform differences into opportunities for collaboration, and become protagonists in building more peaceful, inclusive societies.
About KidsKonnectUkraine (KKU)
KidsKonnectUkraine (KKU) is a global youth empowerment initiative that connects young people in Ukraine and the United States to foster cross-cultural understanding, resilience, and civic leadership. Through dialogue, storytelling, and collaborative projects, KKU empowers youth affected by war to build meaningful relationships, strengthen personal values, and shape a more connected global future.
Media Contact
Sydney Arena, Purpose Worldwide, 1 6166489176, [email protected]
SOURCE Project Oxygen (O2)
