Voices of Resilience: Refugee Youth for Peace Poetry Show

“Peace is not a destination but a journey,” Bertha Nibigira

This poetry show was a significant step on that journey, and I am incredibly grateful to everyone who made it such a transformative afternoon.

“I never realized poetry could be so fun, deeply profound, and impactful until this show.” —Anonymous

An Afternoon of Peace: Poetry and Resilience at Busboys and Poets

On Saturday, September 21, 2024, I had the honor of hosting Voices of Resilience: Refugee Youth for Peace Poetry Show at Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C., in celebration of the International Day of Peace. Though the turnout was smaller than expected, the audience was engaged and deeply connected. The intimate nature of the event was particularly powerful, especially when a moment of loss transformed into a shared sense of peace and solidarity. I was struck by the impact it had on people’s hearts as attendees shared their experiences with me.

Poetry and Peace: Uniting Voices from Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Gaza, Afghanistan, to North Carolina

I began the show with a warm welcome, encouraging attendees to introduce themselves to someone new, while also sharing housekeeping details about food, drinks, and the fact that the event was being photographed and videographed. I then invited the audience into a moment of silence—a PeaceWave—tied to the International Day of Peace, allowing us all to reflect on our common humanity. Afterward, I introduced Jon Davis, who opened the stage with a deeply moving poem titled She Holds Tension, written about me. I was so deeply moved by his rendition that I had to collect myself before returning to the stage. I then outlined the day’s program, emphasizing that peace is both an inner state and an ongoing, transformative process that unites us beyond our divisions.

The poets—Mohammed from Gaza, Naomi from Burundi, Jon from North Carolina, and myself—each shared stories of hardship, resilience, joy, and hope. These personal narratives built upon each other’s energy, weaving a compelling poetic synergy.

Hearts Without Borders: Stories of Healing, Joy, and Hope

After a brief rundown of the show, Mohammed Arafat, a Gazan poet, wove his poignant poetry with gut-wrenching stories of his family and friends still living in Gaza. Mohammed’s poem about his mother’s enduring pain moved the entire room:

“What’s a mother?

A heart that beats outside her chest, cradling dreams, despite the sound of falling bombs.

A whisper that calms the storm of fear, while the world crumbles beneath her feet…

A body that carries more than just children—it carries grief, carries hope, carries tomorrow…

because even when her child is taken, she remains, remembering, loving still…

her light reaching children scattered across the earth—

some in distant lands, some beneath the soil, yet her flame flickers for them all.” (What Is A Mother?)

Naomi Sengiyumva followed with her light-hearted yet thought-provoking poem, Fear Free, drawing laughter as she used the analogy of lifting weights in the gym to explore the burden of fear:

“Things I don’t understand…

gyms are just rooms full of heavy stuff that people pay money to lift over and over again…

fear is just a mental gym full of heavy stuff that costs to lift over and over again…

I wonder how we could be fear-free when fear is actually not free…It costs.”

Naomi’s performance of her poem about the genocide in Burundi and Rwanda, switching between Kirundi and English, showcased the richness of her identity.

Jon Davis then performed his main set, A Heart Without Borders, capturing the essence of being a peacebuilder. His closing line resonated with the audience:

“ The air of love , free expression, culture, and tongue that sometimes wonders do you have space?

but a heart without borders always creates place knowing the more we listen and humble

from sharing our air

i can understand what you makes you you and

how you are a part of me…

we finally stand together stepping into that world we know we can be,  a world where your heart  is part of  my heart,

and where you will never find any border in me.”

I concluded the performances with my poem, Pursuit of Peace, emphasizing that “peace is a journey, not a destination”.

“A journey meant for all humanity, but became an abandoned creed;

A journey misinterpreted by the mind and heart,

but very well understood by the soul and spirit;

A journey that conflicts with human nature,

but straying from it guarantees the production of afflictions and calamities;

A journey often trampled on the ground,

Yet depended on for the sustainability of the soul and continuation of humanity.”

“Will you join me on this journey?”

Early in the show, I received news of a poet’s family tragedy, which prevented her from participating. Rather than simply announcing it, I asked for a moment of silence and shared her bio, ensuring she was honored in her absence. This deeply resonated with the audience, and Jon later reflected that it,

“felt like a window into a peacebuilder’s heart.

“It was about halfway through the poetry show..it felt like someone opened a window for us.

A window

into a peacebuilder’s heart.

Bertha had just received a difficult phone call that the next poet up had just experienced a tragic loss in her family. Bertha’s response was of course to tell this person to please return home and be with her family. But what happened next was “normal for her” but not for the rest of us.

Bertha asked us all to have a moment of silence and prayer for this poet. Then she read the poet’s entire bio in front of us all to make sure we knew who she was and how special her talent is…so together we could honor her even in her physical absence. So we could make her feel seen even if she wasn’t in the room, ” A window into the peacebuilder’s heart by Jon Davis.

After an intermission, I invited the audience to participate in a Pol.is survey supporting my work as a Youth, Peace, and Security Advocate with Search for Common Ground, aiming to gather perspectives on the role of youth in peace and security efforts.

Next, I invited Rebecca Deng, my new friend, to the stage to speak to the audience about her best-selling book, What They Meant for Evil. In this book, Rebecca narrates her powerful and inspiring story of how she found peace and healing as a Lost Girl of Sudan.

The event concluded with a Peace Dialogue, where the featured poets reflected on the day’s themes. One question that still lingers with me is, “How do you keep your heart from hardening after it has bled and shattered more than once?” I am still reflecting on this as I write, two weeks after the event.

Dancing Into Peace: Beyond the Stage

The night was a beautiful blend of vulnerability, strength, and laughter. Victor’s piano music accompanied each performance, adding to the collective sense of healing. As one attendee noted,

“The best kind of peace is when the soul is still.”

This event felt more than just a poetry show to me—it was a gathering of hearts seeking connection and peace.

Attendee Testimonials:

“Bertha’s poetry and recent show to support refugee youth truly touched my heart and left me thinking for days.” —Jaylah Nunezradden, Americorps.

“I don’t think Bertha is fully at peace unless she is living out her calling to bring people together in our world. It showed up so beautifully as her show featured a piano player from Rwanda, poets from Gaza, Afghanistan, and Burundi, and an author from Sudan. And even me, a man who grew up in the U.S., who wasn’t sure I belonged in a poetry event about refugee youth and peacebuilding—even though I was so excited to participate…She saw my heart and how much I feel for people and want to build a world where there are no borders in our hearts. Where all people feel at home, and that it takes work on all sides to build peace. Just by participating this past weekend and getting to share my work on the topic and perspective, it brought me so much peace.” —Jon Davis, featured poet from North Carolina.

“I never knew poetry could be this fun, profound, and impactful until this show.” —Anonymous.“

Enjoyed some fantastic poetry and expression to head…Look forward to future events.” —Ben Hatt, Speechwriter, Storyteller, and Content Specialist at Global Refuge.

Dancing into the Night:

After the show, we continued the celebration at Swahili Village Restaurant in D.C., where a Ugandan woman asked if she could join our table. She later invited us to her favorite rooftop spot where we danced the night away —a simple yet profound reminder of how peace begins when we open our hearts to others.