Support Young Leaders Implement Sustainable Action

With the support of our GlobalGiving donors, we have been able to provide training and development opportunities for our Youth Team. 

“Being a member of the PeaceJam Youth Team has given me opportunities to develop a range of skills that enhance my activism. Mentoring at events has helped me develop leadership skills, as well as confidence in public speaking.” Matty, Youth Team Member. 

On the 21st of February, at our PeaceJam Manchester Slam, youth from across Manchester and the surrounding areas gathered for a day of near-peer mentoring sessions, community-driven workshops and powerful social action discussions. Our Youth Team worked alongside our PeaceJam staff to train new mentors, sharing their previous mentor experiences to support a new wave of leaders. 

A key component of any PeaceJam event is our trained near-peer mentors, who are positive role models for students and, in small group sessions, they create safe spaces for youth to discuss their concerns and thoughts. In doing so, they help build confidence and support youth to find peaceful solutions to issue areas. One 14-year-old male said, “I got to meet new friends and mentors to help me in certain problems.” As a result of the Slam, over 96% of participants agreed that the family group sessions with our mentors made them feel more confident to share their thoughts and feelings with others. One 13-year-old-femalesaid, “I began to feel more confident throughout the day and I was able to notice it.”

Furthermore, having built their skills through previous PeaceJam opportunities, the Youth Team could confidently step up and solve problems that occurred throughout the event. For example, Matty joined our Q&A panel when a last-minute spot opened up. From spending ten minutes talking to participants at our Winchester 2024 Conference to spending an hour engaging with youth in 2025 through the panel, on his passion area, nuclear disarmament, you could see the growth in his skills and confidence. Which likewise had an impact on other youth, many of whom we hope to see joining our Youth Team next year!

A fifteen-year-old female agreed strongly that attending the event inspired her to make positive changes in herself, her community and the world. This included being committed to being a peacemaker, learning how to problem solve without resorting to violence and feeling able to tackle big issues and keep going. When asked why, she said “the panel’s passion about the topic which has given me the motivation.”

Matty is currently working on creating a zine to help educate people about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and Britain's involvement for his social action project. Through his research, he discovered that one of the biggest obstacles to nuclear disarmament is a lack of education on the topic. He is aiming to publish his zine alongside a lesson plan for schools around the topic, drawing inspiration from one of PeaceJam’s Nobel Laureates, Sir Joseph Rotblat. 

“Another key development milestone that the PeaceJam Youth Team provided me with was the opportunity to travel to another continent as a delegate to the Nobel Peace Summit. Here I was able to learn about what youth activism looks like around the globe which has impacted the outlook and methods of my own project design.” Matty, Youth Team member. 

Thank you for supporting the development and training of our young leaders, this would not be possible without your support.

Links:

• PeaceJam UK Upcoming Events