Create 4,000 UK Young Leaders from Deprived Areas

PeaceJam UK’s annual youth leadership conference at the University of Winchester, took place on 9-10 March with Nobel Peace Laureate Betty Williams. The conference was attended by one hundred young people from Universities, schools, youth groups, Interact and Rotaract clubs across the UK.

The conference was themed around a quote by Betty Williams ‘There is no use in talking about the problem, unless you talk about the solution.’ Delegates took part in a variety of activities including:

• Q&A session with Nobel Peace Laureate Betty Williams. Students asked questions about how young people could use their voice and take action to tackle knife crime, climate change and mental health problems. These issues are having the biggest impact on the lives of young people in the UK.
• ‘Family Groups’ which are small group discussions facilitated by University students. During these sessions, teachers and youth group workers attend a separate adult advisor track, with the aim of showing how each aspect of PeaceJam’s programme can be an antidote to problems such as the radicalisation of young people, bullying, knife crime and mental health problems.
• Interactive workshops and service projects, delivered by activists, community organisations and charities that focus on one or more of PeaceJam’s One Billion Acts of Peace issue areas.
• Billion Acts of Peace project exhibition and presentation. This gave young people the opportunity to both, showcase what they are doing in their schools and communities to make a difference, as well as view what other groups are doing. Many groups devised projects around tackling mental health problems and climate change.
• Ceremony of Inspiration. Nobel Peace Laureate Betty Williams shared who her role models are and how she has been inspired by them to overcome barriers in the pursuit of peace. Students then had the opportunity to share who inspires them when faced with adversity.

One seventeen year old male student from Wales commented; ‘After attending the PeaceJam conference, I realise young people do have a voice and we can make a difference. I am personally committed to being a leader for change in my community using nonviolent methods.’

Thanks to donors like you, PeaceJam UK has been able to expand our work with young people; particularly those from deprived areas in the UK. This pioneering event gave young people the unique opportunity to meet and learn from an inspirational role model, committed to the leadership development of young people. Groups that attended the conference this year, have committed to engaging in the PeaceJam programme on a deeper level through implementing our curricular. Thank you for joining us and our 14 Nobel Peace Prize winners in creating young leaders.