Hawah

Hawah is an artist, author, poet, educator, community organizer, non-profit leader, and yogi. He has dedicated his life to teaching about solutions to violence and ways to peace, and has traveled to over 42 countries to facilitate interactive workshops, dialogues, speak, perform, and teach. In his early years, Hawah worked as an Americorps community organizer and mentor in Washington, D.C.’s most under-resourced neighborhood, encouraging youth to explore the roots of oppression. After graduating from American University with a degree in Peace and Educational Philosophy, he was awarded a fellowship with the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Foundation to work as a special representative to the United Nations and the World Conference Against Racism. For four years he directed the Peaceable Schools Program in DC’s largest public high school—and today still leads trainings for teachers and students in conflict resolution, non-violent communication, positive youth development, social-emotional literacy, mindfulness, social justice, and arts empowerment.

In the year 2000, Hawah co-founded “One Common Unity,” a non-profit organization that inspires a culture of non-violence through arts and music. In 2016, under Hawah’s leadership, One Common Unity (OCU) received the Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in the Humanities, the most prestigious honor conferred to an organization working in Washington, D.C. In 2018, OCU was awarded the National SHIFT Award for their pioneering work in integrating the healing arts with environmental stewardship.In 2019, Hawah was awarded Georgetown University’s “Legacy of a Dream” award, honoring an inspirational emerging leader whose work embodies the values and spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hawah has authored 4 books, produced 3 documentary films, 2 musical CDs, and is the creator/ editor of “The Poetry of Yoga” book anthology (published by White Cloud Press) that features Grammy award winning musicians and master yoga teachers. His latest documentary film project, “Fly By Light,” received wide acclaim and awards, while touring international film festivals.

In his spare time Hawah enjoys: finding new foods to mix with chocolate, climbing trees and buildings, doing handstands on furniture, hiking through mountains with flip flops, body surfing ocean waves, making animal sounds and bird calls, enjoying a glass of wine at high altitude, and lighting candles in dark rooms. You can learn more about his life work by visiting: www.Hawah.us.