For nearly two decades, George Mason University alum Nawal Rajeh, MS Conflict Analysis and Resolution ’10, PhD Conflict Analysis and Resolution ’24, has been transforming the way Baltimore’s youth see themselves—shaping them into peacemakers through long-term relationships, hands-on education, and a community-wide commitment to nonviolence. Her work is a testament to the enduring connection between academic training and grassroots action.
When Rajeh first arrived at George Mason in 2008 as a graduate student, she was already deeply rooted in the work of peacebuilding. She had just cofounded a peace camp in East Baltimore while serving as a Jesuit volunteer there. The Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution had long been on her radar as a place to deepen her understanding of conflict resolution and community-based change.
After earning her master’s, Rajeh cofounded the nonprofit By Peaceful Means, which focuses on youth empowerment, peace education, and employment opportunities for young people. This year marked the organization’s 19th Peace Camp, a free program serving children ages 5–13, with opportunities for former campers to return as junior and senior counselors well into their 20s.
"We see the children’s growth in social, emotional, and conflict skills, and they’re building their own identities as peacemakers,” she said. “Some have been with us since the very first year, and now their own children are campers.”
Rajeh says her Carter School experience is inseparable from the evolution of her work. “I had a background as a community organizer before I came to the Carter School. Blending that with what I learned here made me feel that being in a community long-term and doing peace work was the way to go,” she explains.
Courses on peace education and exposure to different grassroots models have shaped everything from the camp’s curriculum to how the team measures impact year after year.
Her efforts extend beyond the camp. Partnering with Carter School faculty on the Baltimore Peacebuilding Project, Rajeh interviewed more than 20 local organizations working on violence intervention and peace education and later convened a Peace Summit, which brought these groups together to share current work, identify gaps, and explore collaborations. Much like cities map crime statistics by neighborhood, summit participants mapped Baltimore’s peacebuilding efforts.
“One participant runs eight Safe Streets sites, and all of them had zero homicides up to that point in the year,” Rajeh said. “It’s incredible—and it’s the kind of work you don’t hear about on the news.”
More than 90% of By Peaceful Means’ funding comes from individual donors, underscoring the deep community trust and investment in their mission. For Rajeh, the most meaningful moments come when former campers share how the program shaped them. One young woman, who faced repeated school suspensions in her early years, told Rajeh as a college senior that Peace Camp gave her the skills, confidence, and support network she needed to chart a different path.
“This whole community has been built around Peace Camp,” Rajeh says. “It’s cocreated by all of us. It’s like its own peace ecosystem now, and people feel like they have family here.”
For current students and aspiring peacebuilders, Rajeh’s advice is simple: “Seek out who’s already doing the work. Be humble and open to learning from the community—not just about its challenges, but about its wisdom and strengths. Build relationships and truly become part of the community.”
Reflecting on her George Mason roots, Rajeh says, “There’s a kind of wonder in being part of this network of changemakers, scholars, and peacebuilders, all connected by the thread of the Carter School. It’s like belonging to an invisible community — I may not know everyone, but the connection makes anything feel possible.”