Young people… empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace.
- Kofi Annan
NewGen Peacebuilders℠ is a global, award-winning peace education, training and mentoring program that equips people to Build Peace. Repeat the Peace.℠ in their communities, countries and the world.
Peace education, training and mentoring content, resources, and experiences that underpin YPA have been “road tested” and evaluated in workshops, dialogues, and peace project implementations led by NewGen Peacebuilders since 2014.
Watch the short video above to learn more from Executive Director and Rotary Peace Fellow Patricia Shafer about the ways in which NewGen Peacebuilders (NGP) and Youth & Peace in Action (YPA) are different, but related.
There are 3 billion people in the world under the age of 30.
Today’s young people have unprecedented awareness of local, regional and global issues, as well as a desire to solve problems. Yet, around the world, there is a lack of peace education, tools and experiences available to young people.
Our Mission: Make learning to a be a peacebuilder a rite of passage for everyone.
Impact
Since 2014, NewGen Peacebuilders℠ programs have been delivered or are in development across multiple states in the US, as well as Argentina, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Lebanon, South Sudan and the Western Balkans. Presentations, dialogues and workshops have been delivered on four continents, independently, or in collaboration with other organizations and networks including the Alliance for Peacebuilding, Institute for Economics & Peace, and Rotary Positive Peace Activators. The emphasis is on understanding frameworks related to peace, developing peace project planning and management skills, and embracing peacebuilding as a personal responsibility.
Approach
NewGen Peacebuilders℠ conveys “peace universals” that are consistent across cultures while adapting for local context and circumstances. The program is offered in various, customizable formats including: short-term “Accelerator,” multi-week program, community events and facilitated breakout sessions, and the Youth & Peace in Action initiative. NewGen Peacebuilders programs help young people understand frameworks related to conflict, violence and peace; develop project planning and management skills; and embrace peacebuilding as a personal responsibility.
Program Experience
Program workshops include interactive discussions, exercises and tools for positive peacebuilding. Participants analyze issues and conflicts, imagine innovative solutions, and design and implement team peace projects that create positive change in their communities. The positive impact and results of team peace projects designed and implemented by participants are shared with friends, family and communities in a public YOUnited℠ celebration. Participants who complete workshops and implement a team peace project become certified NewGen Peacebuilders. . . and part of an international network of young peacebuilders.
Results
NewGen Peacebuilders programs equip young people to understand and explore well-researched drivers of conflict and peace, identify issues and opportunities of local concern, work with facts/data, and be mentored to develop positive peace projects. Students learn how to consider community challenges through the Eight Pillars of Positive Peace from the widely-renowned Institute for Economics and Peace. NewGen Peacebuilders provides tools for positive peacebuilding and skills for young people to communicate and build bridges of respect that create more peaceful and resilient societies. Alumni become part of a global network of young peacebuilders with access to academic and career opportunities. Many have received local, national and international awards, recognition and scholarships.
hear what alumni have to say about their peacebuilding experiences
The Rotarian Effect
In 2013, Rotarians Rick and Janet Manganello posed a question, “Can peace education for young people be developed in a way that Rotarians around the world could support?” This inspired the creation of NewGen Peacebuilders – peace education, training and mentoring that has been delivered in communities on five continents. By supporting NewGen Peacebuilders, Rotary Clubs and Districts have worked together to build a culture of peace. Passionate Rotarians from different Districts are central to the story, but a vast network of people connected to Rotary add special momentum. Some people call it the Rotary peace ecosystem. The list of collaborations and collaborators is long and growing.