United for Peace - EU-UWC Youth Leadership Forum
UWC is thrilled to announce the ‘United for Peace’ EU-UWC Youth Leadership Forum, a 2-day, youth-driven event, hosted by UWC in collaboration with the European Commission, to showcase the impact of peace education in Cyprus and beyond and bring together around 200 high school students, as well as educators, civil society, private sector and other stakeholders to allow young people to play an active role as agents of change and advocates for peace.
A youth-driven event, the ‘United for Peace’ EU-UWC Youth Leadership Forum will feature keynote talks, workshops, youth-led sessions, panel discussions, and networking to promote education as a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.
Background
The EU Scholarship Programme for Cypriot Youth at UWC aims to build mutual understanding between Cypriot communities. Funded by the European Union and implemented by UWC, the programme started in 2019 with six scholarship students from the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot community attending UWC Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Since then, the programme has awarded 64 scholarships to Cypriot students to attend a two-year programme at a UWC school in Europe (UWC Adriatic, UWC Maastricht, UWC Mostar, and UWC Robert Bosch College). The programme also conducted five short courses, both online and residential, bringing together youth from Cyprus, Europe and the Mediterranean region, as well as a series of bicommunal engagement activities on the island, including 7 youth engagement activities, a mentorship programme, and an immersion project week. Cumulatively, the programme has reached more than 1000 Cypriot youth and engaged them in a bi-communal setting.
‘United for Peace’ EU-UWC Youth Leadership Forum
Building on this success, UWC is hosting the ‘United For Peace’ EU-UWC Youth Leadership Forum in Cyprus in collaboration with the European Commission on 21 and 22 September 2024 in Nicosia, Cyprus. The 2-day event will bring together up to 200 people, including Cypriot and international UWC students, UWC faculty, UWC alumni, Cypriot high school students, educators, civil society partners, and others from both sides of the divide. While centred on the reality of the Cyprus divide, the forum will be positioned as a peace-focused conference with a regional focus on the wider Eastern Mediterranean region and Eastern Europe.
An international, and intergenerational event, the Forum aims to provide an inspirational showcase of the transformative power of education in contributing to inter-communal dialogue and allow young people to play an active role as agents of change and advocates for peace. Strategically designed to catalyse inter-communal cooperation, this event will be unique in centering youth voices alongside experts and professionals to foster inter-communal and international dialogue.
Mirroring the UWC educational model, the Forum promises an immersive experience with a rich programme, featuring keynote talks, interactive workshops, youth-led sessions, and engaging discussion panels. Weaving in social and cultural elements, delegates are able to hone their understanding of the Cypriot context while fostering cross-cultural relationships.