Youth Peacebuilding
Coordinator: Phoebe Burns at p.burns@uwinnipeg.ca
The Winnipeg Youth Peacebuilding Project is a non-sectarian collaborative effort to bring youth of diverse backgrounds together with the express purpose of inviting them into positive meaningful relationship with each other - overcoming biases, reinforcing positive understanding and respect.
The project is based on a Seeds of Peace model that does similar work with international conflicts, and was introduced to Winnipeg by Noëlle DePape, a graduate of Menno Simons College (CMU’s campus at the University of Winnipeg). The Institute for Community Peacebuilding accepted her invitation to host the project—to create a space in which youth-serving agencies could come together and make the project their own, and make it relevant to Winnipeg. Through it, established, aboriginal and newcomer youth can find ways to build strong and positive relationships.
Project Partners
The Youth Peacebuilding Project is guided by the wisdom and experience of a dedicated Partner’s Group, comprised of the following organizations:
The Institute for Community Peacebuilding http://www.cmu.ca/icp
Ka Ni Kanichihk “Those who Lead” http://www.kanikanichihk.ca/
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba http://www.ircom.ca/
The YMCA/YWCA of Winnipeg http://www.ymcaywca.mb.ca/
Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc.. (Welcome Place) http://www.miic.ca/
Newcomer Employment and Education Development Services, Inc.
http://www.needsinc.ca/
Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre Inc. “We All Work Together To Help One Another”
http://www.mamawi.com/
The Opportunity
Winnipeg’s inner city is experiencing an increase in tension, and even violence, between youth, of differing backgrounds. There is an identity group (country of origin, ethnic) aspect to this tension—as is so often the case when, in a context of relative scarcity, there is a lack of trusting relationships. Service providers, schools and other groups in the inner city have identified a growing need for a variety of programs to deal with this problem.
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The Peace Gathering
In response to this growing tension, the Youth Peacebuilding Project has developed a program for youth that aims to anticipate the negative cycle, and build supportive trusting relationships where the possibility of destructive relationships is otherwise significant. A key component of the Youth Peacebuilding Project is the annual Peace Gathering at a camp in the Whiteshell – this year at YMCA’s Camp Stephens. This year’s Gathering will bring together 64 Aboriginal, newcomer and established Winnipeg youth between the ages of 14 and 16 years.
Through the gathering, participants will be guided through relationship, skills, and community building activities under the supervision of youth leaders (ages 18-24). In addition to these activities, 18 additional dialogue and arts facilitators will engage the youth in trust building exercises, transformative dialogue (group activities followed by facilitated conversation to de-brief the experience), perspective sharing, creative expression, conflict resolution training, and other forms of experiential interaction aimed at establishing strong relationships across identity groups.
The underlying concepts for the camp are informed by the experience of the Seeds of Peace Conflict Resolution Program that brings together young people from divided regions of protracted conflict (the Middle East, South Asia, the Balkans). The goal of this project is to adapt and implement the Seeds of Peace model into an on-going program for Winnipeg’s youth, primarily those living in the inner city.
Download an opportunity to support the 2009 Gathering (PDF)
Download a brochure for the 2009 Peace Gathering (PDF)
Download the Partnership Agreement (PDF)
Download the Youth Peacebuilding Gathering 2008
Final Report (PDF)
Download the Youth Peacebuilding Gathering August 24th-31st, 2008
Appendices (PDF)
View photos of the 2008 Cabin Leader’s Canoe Trip.
View photos of the 2008 Leader’s Retreat.
