The mission of UCI’s Olive Tree Initiative is rooted in a desire to impact open dialogue and understanding about conflicted regions. In March, the group will send its first delegation to Armenia and Turkey where they will meet with politicians, religious leaders, nongovernmental leaders and academics to gain a better understanding of tensions between the two nations. The trip marks a new branch of study and experiential learning opportunity for the student-initiated group that got its start in 2007 with a focus on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Attending the spring trip will be eight UCI students – three of whom are of Armenian background, three from Turkish backgrounds, and 2 who are unaffiliated – along with three UCI faculty and two board members of the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, the latter of which has played an important advisory role in the initiative’s success. Upon the traveling group’s return, a series of dialogue-focused events will be held so that they may share their experiences with on- and off-campus communities.

In its five years of existence, OTI has been highly lauded for its efforts. Awards and honors received include recognition by the U.S. Summit for Global Citizen Diplomacy and State Department as a top citizen diplomacy program; the inaugural UC Office of the President Award for Outstanding Leadership; UCI’s Anteater Award for Best International Organization; the Paul Delp Peace Award; the Orange County Human Relations Commission’s Community Leader Award; and a UCI Living our Values student team award.  September 2011 marked the return of OTI’s fourth student group from its experiential learning trip to Israel and Palestine which was attended by members of newly launched OTI programs at UC campuses in Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Los Angeles.  OTI’s work served as the foundation of the new UCI undergraduate certificate program in conflict analysis and resolution which offers students academic credit for work leading up to and following their Middle East trip. The program’s first graduates are already working at NGOs and in politics in the Middle East and the U.S.

Join OTI for a special Bon Voyage Celebration on Sunday, March 11, 3:00-5:00 p.m. to help send off the group’s inaugural Armenia-Turkey contingent. RSVP to Rosemarie Swatez, 949-824-2511 or rswatez@uci.edu, for full off-campus event location details.

Pictured: President Yudof presents award to Olive Tree Initiative organizers Oren Klein and Aran Aghapour, along with UC Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake, in 2010. Photo courtesy of Tyler Bergholz.