“Youth Participation through Virtual and Inter-cultural Dialogue” Project by the United Network of Young Peace-builders

In May 2010, “Youth Participation through Virtual and Inter-cultural Dialogue” Project was initiated by the United Network of Young Peace-builders.

The goal of the project was to equip young people from European Countries with the tools and the capacities to participate in the process of change in their society and to increase the role of young people in this process through research and advocacy. 

The project was funded by the Youth Foundation of the European Union in cooperation with the member organizations of the United Network of Young Peace-builders, representing the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Romania, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

The project consisted of 3 main phases: research on youth involvement and inter-cultural dialogue, a five-day training course in the Netherlands, and further meetings on the local level. First, the young participants of the project studied the current issues in their communities and countries. 

During the second phase of the project, which was held in the Netherlands, the participants received information on some tools of conflict analysis and civil advocacy (conflict mapping and SWOT analysis), to use in their practice.

During the months of September-October, the Armenian Team held meetings with young people from Vanadzor, Stepanavan, and Alaverdi, towns in Lori Region, to discuss all those issues which could be resolved with their participation.  

The main topics of the discussions were conflicts, violence, negotiation skills and youth participation in conflict resolution. The participants’ personal experience with conflicts and violence was presented and discussed during group activities. They also received information about a number of local and international websites (as tools for youth peace-building advocacy). 

After the end of “Youth Participation through Virtual and Inter-cultural Dialogue” Project, the United Network of Young Peace-builders plans to publish a book with the involvement of the project participants, in order to share the young people’s experience gained during the implementation of the projects in their local communities.