URI Multi Region

People for Peace

Purpose: To build a dialogue for peace and share peacebuilding tools with others. We are a network of peacebuilding trainers from Europe and the Middle East. Our dream for making a difference in the world is to build relationships between people based on human understanding rather than pre-judgments and prejudice.

Description of Activities:

                A) A week-long peacebuilding training programme in Cyprus (June 4th - 10th, 2007) for 30 young people from 10 countries and 7 different religious and spiritual traditions in peacebuilding and Non Violent Communication, and inter-cultural exchange.

                B) A mini-reunion of CC members combined with an inter-cultural exchange programme in Jordan attended by 9 young people visiting sites of religious and historical significance, staying with one of the members of the CC and hosted by him and his family (August 9th - 13th, 2007). Together we visited the ancient city of Petra; the baptism site of Jesus by John the Baptist near Mt. Nebo; the oldest mosaic map of Jerusalem located at an Orthodox Church in Madaba; the site of Moses' passing at Mt. Nebo; and we had many interesting conversations about politics, religion and culture.

                C) Follow-up projects are now being organized by participants in their local communities. Highlights of their work so far include:

                - 2 Jordanian participants organized a four-day workshop on the theme of "Getting Past the Pain Between Us" for 17 young people in Jordan;

                - One participant from the UK is developing an inter-faith toolkit that will equip trainers with inter-faith activities and resources to work with young people in schools and communities;

                - 3 Cypriot participants are working together to organize workshops for children in multi-cultural schools, to build multi-cultural understanding and tolerance of differences through art, drumming and body sculpture;

                - An Egyptian participant is organizing a day-long workshop in conflict transformation that will be held in Lebanon;

                - 2 Palestinian participants are organizing a series of trainings for 20 young men and women in the village of Bait Anan in Jerusalem;

                - A German participant is getting more training in Non Violent Communication and will bring an NVC trainer to a Jewish, Muslim, Christian dialogue conference that takes place annually in Ammerdown.