Consultative meeting on peace education
Too many conflicts remain active in Europe, in different forms but all of them with the same potential of violence and destruction. Other threats to peace have also become more critical, such as the climate crisis, the attacks on human rights of refugees and migrants and the ever-growing competition for resources, including water.
This, and especially the ongoing war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, has shaken the confidence of some people on the impact of peace and human rights education; conversely, for other people it has further highlighted the importance of its provision and quality, and the relation between citizenship education and a supportive political and social environment.
For human rights activists and educators, many of these tensions are inevitable and manageable from an educational point of view. In all cases, it is important to reflect about them and adopt responses and approaches that are consistent with a human rights approach and the practices of non-formal learning in intercultural youth activities that characterise the youth sector of the Council of Europe.
This Consultative Meeting is organised to pool together experiences, approaches and identifying methodologies for credible activities in peace education and conflict transformation that take into account the realities of today’s Europe and the concerns of young people.
The meeting will explore the following questions:
- Which (new) experiences and approaches to peace education and conflict transformation with and by young people are being developed and implemented?
- What are the essential contents and competences that peacebuilding and conflict transformation in intercultural youth activities should secure in order to be credible and effective?
- How to involve or address young people living under armed conflict in peace education and conflict transformation activities?
- How to support young peace activists and educators in their role as multipliers in their communities and organisations?
Objectives of the consultative meeting
- To review approaches and practices of youth activities for peacebuilding and conflict transformation in the Council of Europe, including the activities at the European Youth Centres and activities supported by the European Youth Foundation
- To renew the role of peace education and conflict transformation in the programme Youth for Democracy and support the implementation of this priority in the Agenda 2030 of the youth sector of the Council of Europe
- To strengthen the role and sustainability of the Youth Peace Camp as a unique confidence-building and conflict transformation activity by updating the methodology and format of the activity;
- To propose additional measures and activities to further mainstream and integrate peacebuilding and conflict transformation in the Youth for Democracy programme, including activities supported by the European Youth Foundation.
The programme of the seminar is being prepared by a group of experts which includes trainers, Council of Europe secretariat and consultants. A daily programme will be sent to the meeting participants with their invitation.
