Young Peacebuilders
The program is a 9-week training for young people aged 16 to 29, aimed at fostering a society where everyone counts and takes part. Participants develop life skills such as personal values, group dynamics, communication, inclusion, leadership, solution-oriented thinking and making an impact. They also create community projects, and take part in national peace dialogues with partners like the Peace Palace, UNESCO and others.
Project Summary
Project period: December 2020 – October 2027
Partners: 125Procent
Funded by: Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) as part of the Maatschappelijke Diensttijd (MDT) programme
The Young Peacebuilders program empowers young people aged 16–29 to actively contribute to peaceful and inclusive communities.
Participants develop essential life skills—including leadership, conflict resolution, communication, personal development, and community engagement—while exploring their identity, values, and strengths. Through experiential learning, coaching, and project-based work, they design and implement initiatives that foster peaceful and inclusive societies.
The program emphasizes self-leadership, collaboration, and practical application, connecting youth to local and national networks.
Context and Challenges
Young people today are growing up in a society where polarization, exclusion, and insecurity increasingly shape their environment. Many lack opportunities to actively participate in building inclusive communities, while at the same time they hold untapped passions, talents, and experiences that could make a meaningful contribution to creating peaceful and inclusive societies.
The Young Peacebuilders program responds to this gap by empowering youth to develop essential life skills. Participants learn to understand their own strengths, weaknesses, and values, and to apply these in creating positive impact. At the same time, they gain practical experience in project-based work, designing and implementing initiatives that address the visible and invisible challenges of building societies rooted in peace and inclusivity.
Activities
The Young Peacebuilders program is a 9-week training designed to equip young people aged 16–29 with the knowledge, skills, and tools to become active peacebuilders in their communities.
It equips participants with skills in leadership, personal development, conflict resolution, and community engagement. Throughout the program, young people explore identity, group dynamics, and behavior, gaining a deeper understanding of themselves and others while learning effective communication and feedback techniques. They develop values-driven leadership skills, increase self-awareness, and practice resolving conflicts using practical tools and mediation strategies.
Finally, they learn how to analyze their communities, identify local challenges, and design impactful projects that promote peace, safety, and inclusion—preparing them to create positive change in their surroundings and beyond.
After completing the training days, participants design and carry out an activity aimed at promoting peace and security within their own communities. They create an initiative for a specific target group, based on their personal passions and interests. Over the course of five weeks, they receive guidance and coaching from trainers on planning and executing their activities.
Impact
Project aims to increase youth participation in creating a society built on peace and inclusion, where young people can live free from fear, polarization, and violence.
The program fosters self-leadership and leading others, helping participants explore their strengths, weaknesses, character, and life experiences, and use them to create positive impact in their unique way. Its long-term social impact lies in empowering young people to make constructive decisions, support others, and improve living conditions within their communities and society as a whole.
We strive for a diverse representation of youth from different provinces, guided by intrinsic motivation as the key criterion. Diversity is also reflected in each local project: while initiatives build on the personal strengths and interests of participants, they also respond to the specific challenges within their communities, making every project unique and tailored to local needs.
- At least 50% of MDT participants create and implement a project in their community, either independently or within a project team.
- At least 150 young people contribute ideas and provide advice on a national peace-related issue.
- At least 150 young people connect to local and national networks, while 2,500 additional participants engage in the personal projects of the program’s participants.
Updates & Reports
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Contact
📧 For more information or to get involved, contact us at: development@fryshuset.se
📲 Follow our journey on Instagram — @fryshusetglobal & @fryshusetyouthmobility