Rationale for the Youth Peace Camp

September 2012

(Travel days included)

Albania

Call for participants from

Albania, Kosovo 1, “The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Serbia

Language of the camp: English

Background

Within the framework of the Albanian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports of Albania will host a Regional Youth Peace Camp 2012 in the week of 9 to 16 September 2012 in Albania. This camp is jointly organised by the Albanian Ministry and the Youth Department of the Council of Europe.

Youth Peace Camps were initiated by the Council of Europe in 2004 to bring together young people from conflict regions and to support them in initiating dialogue and cooperation.

During the week long Youth Peace Camp, participants follow an experiential learning process and acquired competences in the fields of intercultural learning, dialogue and conflict transformation within a human rights framework. This will be the first regional Peace Camp.

Rationale for the Youth Peace Camp

Many young people growing up in the Balkan region have been affected by the armed conflicts of the past two decades. Being exposed to and/or enduring the consequences of extreme forms of physical and structural violence these young people often are confronted with life forming experiences, emotions and challenges. Many young people, despite often adverse circumstances, choose to engage in constructive initiatives and dialogue instead of becoming themselves the multipliers of hatred and rejection which fuel prejudice. When supported and recognised in their role, these young people may become peer leaders and educators and, in turn, sensitise and involve other young people in dialogue, mediation, intercultural communication, conflict transformation and peace work projects. In their role as peer leaders and in learning about conflict and peace, it is important for them to be able to relate to, and to be confronted with, the life stories, experiences and aspirations of other young people from the opposite sides of the conflict. The specificity of the Youth Peace Camp has been the possibility to better understand conflicts and their transformation by listening to and living with young people affected by conflicts together.

The Youth Department of the Council of Europe has in the past decades initiated and developed quality criteria, training manuals, training courses and seminars in the fields of intercultural learning, human rights education and youth participation. The Youth Peace Camps organised in Strasbourg has welcomed young people from conflict affected regions of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Israel, Kosovo 3, the Palestinian Authority, the Russian Federation and Serbia.

The Regional Youth Peace Camp enables the Albanian Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports and the youth sector of the Council of Europe to identify and document challenges faced by young people affected by conflict and improve its ability to support youth projects in the Balkan regions.

Aim

The aim of the regional Youth Peace Camp in Albania is to engage young people and youth organisations from neighbouring regions of Albania in dialogue and conflict transformation activities based on human rights education and intercultural learning and to provide them with a positive experience in living and learning together.

Objectives:

The main objectives of the Regional Youth Peace Camp Albania are:

1. To develop the conceptual and practical meanings of conflict, peace, and conflict transformation.

2. To allow participants to engage in a process of dialogue through the sharing of their personal experiences of conflict and violence and their coping strategies, identifying what is common and specific between them.

3. To develop the competences of participants in conflict transformation and intercultural learning, including a critical understanding of the personal and collective identities and their role in armed conflicts.

4. To learn about human rights and human rights education as frameworks for conflict transformation and dialogue.

5. To motivate and support participants in their role as multipliers and peer leaders in peace building activities with young people from their organisations and communities in the Balkan region.

6. To increase the role and expertise the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports of Albania and the Council of Europe, in working with conflict transformation as part of its mission in relation to intercultural dialogue.