Young women representing the Global Connections programs in Uzbekistan, Morocco, Lebanon, Palestine, Pakistan and Bahrain were among an international delegation attending Empower Peace’s “Women2Women” conference held at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts on August 5-10. The young women heard inspiring stories from professional women leaders from the government, business, media and entertainment sectors, attended workshops, visited community projects, and made lasting friendships with a diverse group of peers. Reem Al Mealla from Bahrain wrote in her blog, "I have learnt today to always dream and work hard to achieve my dreams and that opportunities don't just come to you, you have to create and look for an opportunity." The main aim of the conference, for participants aged 16 to 19, was to break down cultural barriers and misconceptions. At the same time, the conference inspired young women to return home and make a difference in their communities. Dina and Hala from Palestine plan to give talks on the importance of women's role in society and to lead an environmental project in Jenin in which they will swap project ideas with students from the United States through the Walden Pond Project. Regarding the impact of the Global Connections program, Sharifa, a teacher from Uzbekistan, wrote, "I was impressed by the girls’ abilities to speak English so well, that they are already determined, have clear goals in the life, are real future leaders and very talented students, even though the majority are 16 years old. They have deep knowledge of the situation in their regions, very active and have great IT skills."