Practical experience
Participants will develop practical experience in research, critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creative problem-solving.
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Keepers of Peace
Awakening a culture of peace, sustainability and creativity by promoting collaboration and innovation amongst students within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
A welcome from the founder
Alan Sands
My name is Alan Sands, Founder and Executive Director of Keepers of Peace. Our organization is honored to be a Co-Sponsor and Collaborator with the New York City Caribbean Fine Art Fair, taking place at the Caribbean Cultural Center from November 20–22, 2026.
Our organizations share a belief in the power of creativity and cultural exchange to break down barriers and broaden perspectives. Keepers of Peace draws on five areas of creative expression: music, fashion, food and farming, AI technology, and performing and visual arts. We use these as pathways to engage young people and encourage them to contribute to a more peaceful and sustainable world.
Through an engaging digital experience, our PEACE App platform will guide students on a voyage aboard a virtual sailing ship, providing an accessible environment for learning, discovery and collaboration. It is fitting that Barbados will be the first destination for our pilot, given the country’s longstanding leadership on climate change, sustainability and peace across the Caribbean.
The Idea
Originated by Alan Sands
Originated by writer and actor Alan Sands, the concept of Keepers of Peace grew from an understanding of the power of creativity to motivate people towards positive and collaborative action. Drawing on his experience in storytelling and the creative industries, Alan developed the idea of using technology to connect young people from different countries and cultures, helping them understand complex humanitarian and environmental challenges and work together towards solutions.
With the help of an AI-powered guide, students will be guided towards relevant resources, questions and activities relating to climate change, sustainability, peace and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The platform will recognise the different cultural, social and economic contexts in which students live.
Alongside this outward-facing work, KOP will support young people in developing confidence, character, communication, relationship and career skills. The ambition is to help them grow into capable contributors within their communities and prepare for meaningful opportunities, including those emerging in the green economy.
How PEACE App Will Work
Proposed platform
PEACE App is the proposed AI-powered learning and collaboration platform at the heart of the Keepers of Peace program. AI-powered guides will direct students towards challenges and projects suited to their interests, abilities and circumstances, providing support in their native languages and adapting content to different cultural contexts.
What makes the KOP approach distinctive is its combination of artificial intelligence and human guidance. Just as Duolingo has made language-learning accessible to millions globally, PEACE App aims to make understanding and addressing global challenges more accessible to young people. It will connect local concerns with relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and targets, breaking complex challenges down into manageable, age-appropriate tasks with clear timeframes, adapted to the time each young person has available.
Young people will be connected through our app in collaborative working groups, bringing together different skills, perspectives and experiences across schools, communities and countries. AI will identify relevant resources, facilitate communication and support progress. Educators, university partners, mentors and subject experts will provide context, guidance and human review. Students will research problems, exchange knowledge, develop ideas, test potential solutions and assess their results as each challenge progresses towards a practical solution.
Our virtual sailing ship provides an engaging way to explore different communities and perspectives, while the underlying platform connects individual learning with collective problem-solving. KOP's intention is to work with universities globally, developing a student-led model in which young people are active participants in addressing real-world challenges.
What Participants and Communities Gain
PEACE OS Passport
Participants will develop practical experience in research, critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creative problem-solving.
Their participation, work and demonstrated skills will be recorded in their PEACE OS Passport, providing an ongoing record of their contributions and development. This evidence can be assessed through appropriate human review.
Formal academic credit or recognized credentials would depend on separate agreements with qualified institutions.
For communities, projects can generate useful research, observations, proposed interventions and lessons learned. Working with local universities and relevant experts will help ensure that challenges are properly understood and that findings reflect local circumstances. Carefully reviewed qualitative and quantitative evidence can identify information gaps and help communities learn from one another, without presenting local observations as official UN statistics.
The aim is to equip young people with the knowledge, confidence and evidence to make informed contributions and engage constructively with community leaders and local government on the issues affecting them.
Starting in Barbados
Proposed initial pilot
Barbados is the proposed initial pilot location. The current base plan contemplates approximately 100 participants across one to three secondary schools, beginning with local co-design and engagement with the University of the West Indies. Discussions are under way.
The pilot will provide an opportunity to test the program, assess how students engage with PEACE App and demonstrate how young people can collaborate on practical responses to challenges affecting their communities.
Current Collaboration
Caribbean Fine Art Fair (CaFA)
As a Co-Sponsor and Collaborator, Keepers of Peace is participating in the Caribbean Fine Art Fair (CaFA) NYC, November 20–22, 2026, at the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute’s Ilé Oyin venue in Harlem, New York. The fair brings together 35 Caribbean and diaspora artists, creating an opportunity for cultural exchange and engagement with KOP's youth mission.
Under the event-specific joint sponsorship campaign, 75% of sponsorship contributions are allocated to development of KOP's Barbados pilot and 25% to supporting CaFA's three-day event. Event recognition and benefits are detailed in the separate Gold, Silver and customized sponsorship packages.
Building an Educational Ecosystem With Lasting Impact
Proposed funding model
Keepers of Peace intends to work with community organizations, schools, universities, governments, foundations, businesses and cultural partners. Its proposed funding model combines philanthropy, public-benefit support and sponsorship with paid institutional services, training, technology support and appropriate evaluation work.
The long-term aim is to help young people turn their hopes and ideas into meaningful contributions, while enabling communities to learn from their work. By connecting creativity, technology, education and collaboration, Keepers of Peace seeks to empower the next generation to become active contributors to a more peaceful and sustainable world.
Watch
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Support the work
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Under the CaFA joint sponsorship campaign, 75% of sponsorship contributions are allocated to development of KOP's Barbados pilot and 25% to supporting CaFA's three-day event. Gold, Silver and customized sponsorship packages are detailed separately.
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