Since my childhood, I have had a list of must-see places.. Those that held something special about them, that seemed so far away – perhaps not so much in distance, but for the magic they carry.. For the stories that they give birth to..

And Roots took me to many of them – Rome, Kathmandu, Toledo, Prague.. The list is quite long and I consider myself very fortunate for the opportunity given to me more than a decade ago..

But there was one place that always fascinated me like no other.. The place that has been shaping the course of the history of mankind for thousands of years – Jerusalem! The birthplace of major religions and a site where millions seek comfort of soul and peace of mind..

Last week my ultimate dream came true! Together with my colleagues and friends Vardan Hambardzumyan and Marius Pop, I embarked on a journey that took me all over the holy land – Jericho, Bethlehem, Jerusalem.. And feelings like no other – exposure to the sites that I always held so dear to my heart.. To my soul..

But we were not there just for our spiritual healing and visiting those holy places were not the only special moments we have experienced – Roots plans to organize Peace Work Institute Reunion in Jerusalem in September this year and our team was there to make sure that such endeavor would be feasible.

And with the exceptional hospitality of our hosts in East Jerusalem YMCA, YMCA Vocational Centre in Jericho, Jerusalem International YMCA and everywhere else we went, having witnessed the incredible commitment, resilience and work that changes thousands of lives and fosters peace, coexistence and understanding and all of these happening despite very difficult context and circumstances, It is my utmost pleasure and honor to announce on behalf of the Roots Team – we are going to Jerusalem in September, together with you!

P.S. Peter, Nidal, Samah, Rami, Fadi and so many other friends there – Thank you! You are making this world a better place…

Rezi Shavladze