Break The Divide is, at its core, about connection, empathy, compassion, community, and resilience.
Our Mission
Break The Divide is an international non-profit organization that connects youth worldwide to break down divisions between communities. Break The Divide’s patent “apathy to empathy to action” framework seeks to build ways in which young people can connect and learn from one another in an increasingly polarized world, allowing them to build empathy for realities that they have never faced, and empowering them to transform that empathy into concrete actions that advance the creation of harmonious and abundant futures.
Our Vision
Break The Divide’s vision for the future is grounded in the belief that through empathy, dialogue, community, and compassion we can build more resilient communities, capable of dealing with new challenges as they arise. Break The Divide envisions a future where climate action is community specific and grounded in local knowledge. Where climate education is collaborative, interdisciplinary and intercommunal. Where youth feel empowered to act rather than apathetic or helpless, thanks to community collective action efforts grounded in local knowledge and our empathy-based approach. This is a world transformed by empathy where individuals from all backgrounds feel empowered to unite to address global challenges.
Theory of Change
Some youth feel apathy due to a lack of connection with their peers who are experiencing similar negative effects and mental health issues as a result of the climate crisis. Through Break The Divide’s programming, empathy is gained and mental wellness is increased as a result of Break The Divide support for youth to be at the forefront of decision-making and to encourage a model of change where communities work alongside each other. Through mentorship and fostering youth-to-youth connections, empathy is built to diversify the knowledge and awareness relating to climate change .