Peace Begins Within: The Power of Brave Space

Building peace takes courage, especially when you’re doing it every day.

Across the world, many young people are leading this work within their communities. But putting in that kind of effort day after day can have a heavy impact on their wellbeing, and even the most driven changemakers may need space to breathe, reflect, and recharge. That’s where Brave Space comes in.

Launched by Fryshuset in partnership with Armenian Progressive Youth (Armenia) and STAN (Ukraine), and funded by the Swedish Institute, Brave Space is a growing platform designed to support grassroots organisations and youth activists. The project places mental health, personal resilience, and emotional sustainability at the core of peacebuilding efforts.

“What makes Brave Space different from other initiatives is exactly that”, says Jasmine Traoré, project manager at Fryshuset. “The strong focus on how to take care of yourself while taking care of your community”.

It does this by creating safe, supportive environments, both digital and in-person, where youth workers can connect, reflect, and grow. The platform offers workshops, peer exchanges, and training on topics such as trauma awareness, personal leadership, and digital resilience. It also promotes cross-border cooperation by linking youth organisations with professionals, institutions, and policymakers.

The fourth Brave Space Forum took place at Fryshuset Stockholm from the 24th to the 26th of April 2025. Organised and led by Jasmine, the event brought together young leaders from Sweden, Armenia, Lithuania, Finland, and Ukraine to explore the role of youth resilience in peacebuilding.

The programme offered a rich combination of reflection and action. Participants began by sharing their expectations, engaging in storytelling exercises, and unpacking the concept of “brave space”. A guided tour of Fryshuset gave insights into youth empowerment in Sweden, while an impactful workshop by the Peace Leadership Specialist, Courtnae Dunn, delved into trauma and community resilience.

“We came together to focus on strengthening our wellness and resilience” Jasmine recalls. “There was something very powerful about sitting in the same room with people from such different backgrounds and perspectives… all exploring how we can take care of ourselves. For example, there was a girl from Ukraine who came from a war context. Maybe we won’t find solutions to the war, but the fact that we could sit together, process, and share space…that was an extremely impactful thing”.

Day two featured country-led sessions, with contributions from from NGO Zakhyst (Ukraine) and Peace Education Insitutute (Finland), as well as a workshop on AI, gaming, and disinformation led by the Psychological Defence Agency. Participants from Armenian Progressive Youth managed the afternoon activities, and a shared dinner deepened discussions around cultural heritage and identity.

Saturday’s session moved into vision-building: what kind of communities do these young leaders want to shape? Participants reflected individually, then joined small groups to discuss hopes and goals for their future. As always, food and friendship were close by, with a final dinner at a Swedish restaurant marking the end of a packed, emotional, and inspiring journey. It was a moment of connection and mutual learning, exactly the kind of brave space the project aims to create.

Looking ahead, while the Brave Space project has officially come to an end, its spirit lives on in many ways. At Fryshuset, the commitment to supporting young changemakers remains as strong as ever – through new initiatives, ongoing collaborations, and everyday efforts to create spaces where youth can reflect, connect, and grow. After all, building peaceful and resilient communities begins with ensuring that young people are seen, heard, and supported, not only in times of crisis, but every step of the way.