Social Transformation and Reconciliation Youth

ongoing

The STAR Youth project is developed in response to the need for an approach to peacebuilding and peace education that built on practices proven to resonate within the current European context. Given the history of lecture-based learning, geographic and spatial divides that have kept interethnic interactions limited, and a slow acceptance of participant-led dialogue, this project sought to build on the newer peace education practices consistent with European traditions. STaR Youth project also supported integration in an indirect, non-confrontational way among those not yet ready to face the past head-on. Social Transformation and Reconciliation and role that Youth Work is playing and can play is the core to the goals and methodology of this project. How the youth work can create safe spaces for authentic dialogue, in which the wounds of conflict could be jointly acknowledged and biased narratives jointly dismantled, both critical steps in the path towards genuine social healing, reconciliation and conflict prevention. The project goals are: (a) Humanize and increase empathy for members of other ethnoreligious groups; and (b) Catalyse youth to take action to promote interethnic respect. In service of these goals, the project objectives are: 1. To develop improved interethnic attitudes and behavioural tendencies among targeted youth organizations and organization working with youth and 2. To share insights about interethnic respect with youth and youth work organizations.