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

Founder and Executive Director

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

Creativity as a path to collaborative action

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

AI-powered learning, with human guidance

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

A living record of contribution

Practical experience

Participants will develop practical experience in research, critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creative problem-solving.

PEACE OS Passport

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.

Credentials

Formal academic credit or recognized credentials would depend on separate agreements with qualified institutions.

Starting in Barbados

Proposed initial pilot

The first destination for the pilot

~100 Participants in the current base plan, across one to three secondary schools
UWI Beginning with local co-design and engagement with the University of the West Indies. Discussions are under way.

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)

Co-Sponsor and Collaborator, November 20–22, 2026

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.

75% Of sponsorship contributions allocated to development of KOP's Barbados pilot
25% Allocated to supporting CaFA's three-day event

Building an Educational Ecosystem With Lasting Impact

Proposed funding model

Partners, philanthropy, and lasting impact

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.

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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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