Since its inception in 2012 and with two cohorts (2012-2014, 2014-2019) of participants that passed through it, the Roots Peace Work Institute (PWI) sought to enroll young leaders of different backgrounds from across Europe, young people who were and are a voice and not an echo – eager to learn, to try, to grow… Like raw diamonds to shine after the grind.

And we believe that most of these 46 Alumni managed to develop both personally and professionally as they journeyed through PWI.

Today we share with you the story of Marina Babayan, a talented activist from Spitak, Armenia.

Marina graduated from the Brusov Linguistic University with a degree in linguistics. Today she works in Timeless online store as a senior consultant.

Prior to the program, she had never been involved in peacebuilding projects. However, she participated in many events organized by Spitak YMCA. It was an interesting place for her to learn because there are not so many youth events in the regions of Armenia. Her local YMCA is doing a great job in providing youngsters with relevant and entertaining programs.

Having learnt about the Roots and Peacework Institute at Spitak YMCA, Marina decided to apply to join the PWI family. Then in her turn she advised many people to participate in the program – because the program had a very positive impact on her development.

According to Marina, her worldview and way of thinking has changed, many stereotypes have remained in the past and she has become more patient and tolerant towards the close ones and the world.

“For me, the most powerful achievement of Roots is people. In my opinion, Roots is all about that. I have made friends with whom we are still in very close relations, we are part of each other’s lives. I had countless unforgettable moments. There are even very small details that will be etched in my memory forever.

If I had to single one out, I would choose this one: once we were in Camp Orange in Georgia, where the participants from conflicting countries organized a Playback Theater. Through the theater, we talked about the war and the consequences it had on people – about how those on both sides of the conflict feel the same and blame each other the same way and for the same things. It was a very strong moment.

Roots played a big role in the fact that I already look at someone as a person and not as a representative of any nation. All the time there as we talked, discussed, rehearsed and performed – I kept thinking: what prevents us from being so peaceful? And I still could not find the answer,” says Marina.

Marina still participates in events organized by Spitak YMCA and helps with organizational issues.

You can find more impressions of marina about her experience with the Peace Work Institute in the article below.

Peace Work Institute makes you understand that you matter

Since 2007 and ever growing, from the South to the North, from the East to the West of Europe – the Roots has always been there for those striving to make this world a better and safer place, a peaceful home for all. We go where the need is, responding quickly to the emerging issues with the legacy and mandate, capacity and adaptability gained for all these years.

By donating to the Roots, you invest in youth opinion leaders from all corners of Europe – varied by age, ethnicity, religion, race or wealth, but united with one strong conviction – Peace is the only way!

Since its inception in 2012 and with two cohorts (2012-2014, 2014-2019) of participants that passed through it, the Roots Peace Work Institute (PWI) sought to enroll young leaders of different backgrounds from across Europe, young people who were and are a voice and not an echo – eager to learn, to try, to grow… Like raw diamonds to shine after the grind.

And we believe that most of these 46 Alumni managed to develop both personally and professionally as they journeyed through PWI.

Today we share with you the story of Kristi Arakelova, an experienced youth leader from Georgia.

Kristi’s first degree was in Social Science and Art History. Over time, however, her interests shifted and in 2013 she obtained her Master’s degree in International Relations.

“Despite the fact that in South Caucasus we have 3 conflicts and I grew up together with ongoing tensions both in Georgia and in Armenia, a “Training for Trainers” project in Armenia was my very first time when I touched “peace” and experienced what conflict actually means to us. During the Training I met Vardan and from that moment my YMCA Journey has begun. I was first involved in the Roots for Reconciliation project back in 2012. Afterwards, my journey to peacebuilding has started and I became one of the “Rooters” – so I felt very proud, excited and responsible,” shares Kristi. 

Since her interests lie in the area of international involvement in resolving internal conflicts, her Master thesis was on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the international community’s role in mediation and the peace process.

By the decision to become a “Rooter”, she has changed everything in her life but of course, she did not realize it immediately. Her most important belief was to feel useful and to help people who are in need, – it could be in need of peace, justice or protecting their rights. Step by step, Kristi understood how important it is to work with these people and felt happy, because by doing peacebuilding she found herself.

“Today, I surely can say that Roots helped me to “walk” on the right path in my life. I think the most important thing which I learned from Roots is to understand the importance of being at peace with self in the first place. This means that if you want to build peace around you, you should start it from inside of you – accept yourself in the way you are and be in harmony with your inner “I”. After this comes the stage of understanding interpersonal conflict and the importance of the “Do No Harm” approach which means taking a step back from an intervention to look at the broader context and to mitigate potential negative effects on the peacebuilding process. It is significant to underline that Roots helped me to deconstruct the idea of the “enemy” and showed me different sides of peace work,” says Kristi.

Each session was unforgettable and unique because the participants were learning something new every time and getting the ‘food for the brain and soul’. But for Kristi the most powerful moment was in Strasbourg, when Vardan stood  in front of the participants and said: ‘Peace is possible, you just need to believe in it.”

“To me, Roots is all about hope. Probably the most difficult job for a Rooter is to persuade others to keep the hope. As a Rooter, one should think positive and this positive approach should be visible through your actions. Spread hope and keep the motivation level up. If you are successful in giving hope and inspire people,  you can easily overcome any current and future challenges easily,” Kristi says.

Today Kristi is a Chevening Award winner from Georgia, currently studying Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict at Birkbeck, University of London. The Chevening is a very prestigious and competitive Scholarship and a unique opportunity for young leaders to study in the UK as well as to build a professional network – to meet professionals or NGO representatives working on scholarly interests.

Since 2016, she has been a young expert in the Georgian-Armenian Dialogue organized by the Institute for the Study of Nationalism and Conflicts. Last year, she was appointed as a project coordinator of the Georgian-Armenian Expert’s Dialogue supporting bilateral enlargement of the Dialogue and engagement of young generation experts and researchers.

“I would always highly recommend young people to become a rooter because this project is all about shaping your mind and spirit in the best possible way. Alongside knowledge, you acquire skills like empathy and emotional intelligence which are essential for today. It means you can control your emotions, you can feel others’ problems and you are always ready to help. In addition, you are having friends worldwide, which is an amazing thing. I am currently living in the UK and I can surely tell you that if there wasn’t my Rooter friend Frah Saeed, I would be lost – she is always with me and she is my closest friend, she is my hope here in the UK. And I am so grateful to Roots for this friendship,” confesses Kristi.  

Kristi is a Member of the Core Group of Experts (CGE) for the OSCE’s Perspectives 20-30 initiative. Also, she was a fellow of the Office of the 2018 UNHCR Minorities Programme. Together with her professional development, she has also chosen and become committed to the path of social activism. She founded “Youth for Diplomatic Engagement”, an NGO that focuses on youth involvement in public diplomacy, security, and human rights issues in the South Caucasus.

Since 2007 and ever growing, from the South to the North, from the East to the West of Europe – the Roots has always been there for those striving to make this world a better and safer place, a peaceful home for all. We go where the need is, responding quickly to the emerging issues with the legacy and mandate, capacity and adaptability gained for all these years.

By donating to the Roots, you invest in youth opinion leaders from all corners of Europe – varied by age, ethnicity, religion, race or wealth, but united with one strong conviction – Peace is the only way!

Since its inception in 2012 and with two cohorts (2012-2014, 2014-2019) of participants that passed through it, the Roots Peace Work Institute (PWI) sought to enroll young leaders of different backgrounds from across Europe, young people who were and are a voice and not an echo – eager to learn, to try, to grow… Like raw diamonds to shine after the grind.

And we believe that most of these 46 Alumni managed to develop both personally and professionally as they journeyed through PWI.

Today we share with you the story of Lika Kadagishvili, an amazing youth worker from Georgia.

Lika is 28 years old. She studied Sociology as a Bachelor and is about to start  Master’s in Social Psychology.

“All my work life is connected with children and youngsters and I know how important it is to be fully realized as a successful person in society and to do so, it is very important to be aware of yourself and set the right attitude towards the people and events in life. And I think my Master’s degree will help me to be more useful for young people (and not only) around me,” shares Lika.

Lika joined Roots in 2015 and is still actively engaged as the project transitioned to online activities lately. She is really looking forward to meeting all Peace Work Institute alumni again! Before Roots, she didn’t have any experience in peace work. Here she had a chance to get acquainted with the theoretical and practical part of the conflict analysis and peace work activities.

“Roots gave me the chance to meet incredible people from all over the world. It made me think of many global issues around me and those concerning my personality. Thanks to this experience, I opened up to this new world and improved my communication skills. I had been a member of the YMCA before Roots and it helped me to go through this journey very smoothly and achieve a lot as a result. I believe that if I become a little better as a human, people around me will feel better too! So this is the main impact for me,” Lika says.

Every participant of Roots is a family member, we say. And Lika is a very special one, as she always makes people smile. Lika is caring – a person who always shares, gives and doesn’t wait for feedback.

“During Roots, I experienced a lot of amazing moments. It does not have to be a big WOW to become an unforgettable case. The whole project stays in my memory as a great long-lasting emotion. But, I can remember the moment at Camp Orange when during a Roots event young participants from different countries (those with serious political issues with each other) hugged, sang and cried together! That was WOW with tears of happiness… I would describe Roots as Unity, Love, and Friendship,” says Lika.

Since 2007 and ever growing, from the South to the North, from the East to the West of Europe – the Roots has always been there for those striving to make this world a better and safer place, a peaceful home for all. We go where the need is, responding quickly to the emerging issues with the legacy and mandate, capacity and adaptability gained for all these years.

By donating to the Roots, you invest in youth opinion leaders from all corners of Europe – varied by age, ethnicity, religion, race or wealth, but united with one strong conviction – Peace is the only way!

Since its inception in 2012 and with two cohorts (2012-2014, 2014-2019) of participants that passed through it, the Roots Peace Work Institute (PWI) sought to enroll young leaders of different backgrounds from across Europe, young people who were and are a voice and not an echo – eager to learn, to try, to grow… Like raw diamonds to shine after the grind.

And we believe that most of these 46 Alumni managed to develop both personally and professionally as they journeyed through PWI.

Today we share with you the story of Ani Arakelyan, an inspiring graphic designer from Armenia.

Ani graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Yerevan with a Master’s degree in graphic design. She started her professional career as a freelancer & eventually moved to Quality Assurance Engineering. Now and for almost 6 years she is a Quality Assurance Engineer at Picsart, a well-known Armenian photo-editing application.

The Peace Work Institute was the first peace-building experience for her. But soon after her involvement in the scheme, she was providing valuable support to the Roots team. Ani is always eager to share her knowledge and offer help.

“Roots was a big experience for me, I’ve been part of it since 2008. Roots helped a lot in changing the way of my thinking and to break stereotypes. Now I’ve got lots of friends from different countries. I started to learn about their cultures. It led me to understand that we all are human beings, even if we have different religions, come from different parts of the world or have a different skin color, etc. It all doesn’t matter.

I lived so many moments that will stay in my mind and in my heart forever. 

The most unforgettable moment for me is probably one of the Roots Tandem Projects when I was in Istanbul, Turkey. It was very challenging for me to meet young people from from a country considered “enemy” and spend time with them. Initially I was a bit afraid of visiting Turkey, but once I got there and met the local young people, – I understood that we all are just normal people and no one is going to kill me”, – says Ani. 

Being from Armenia and having a not very smooth relationship with its neighbors can sometimes be stressful for young people. Ani highlights this moment, as it was a really life-changing occasion for her. Roots doesn’t solve conflicts, but instead – it helps people to live in conflict settings without hate & prejudices, being aware of the “Do No Harm” methodology.

“I’ll definitely recommend young people from conflict regions to take part in the course, start to learn about each other’s culture and break the stereotypes in their head”, Ani says. 

Roots gives you not only the opportunity to learn but also to share. For those who remain in Roots and have a desire and skills to be a part of it on another level, the project team is always there to give that opportunity. Today Ani is hired as an E-commerce Start-up Developer Advisor and continues her engagement with Roots as an Expert.

Since 2007 and ever growing, from the South to the North, from the East to the West of Europe – the Roots has always been there for those striving to make this world a better and safer place, a peaceful home for all. We go where the need is, responding quickly to the emerging issues with the legacy and mandate, capacity and adaptability gained for all these years.

By donating to the Roots, you invest in youth opinion leaders from all corners of Europe – varied by age, ethnicity, religion, race or wealth, but united with one strong conviction – Peace is the only way!

Since its inception in 2012 and with two cohorts (2012-2014, 2014-2019) of participants that passed through it, the Roots Peace Work Institute (PWI) sought to enroll young leaders of different backgrounds from across Europe, young people who were and are a voice and not an echo – eager to learn, to try, to grow… Like raw diamonds to shine after the grind.

And we believe that most of these 46 Alumni managed to develop both personally and professionally as they journeyed through PWI.

Today we share with you the story of Besnik Hoxha, a committed young leader from Albania.

Besnik joined Roots on the cohort of 2017-2019. He studied psychology and holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. At the moment he is working as a counselor at an organization that works with active/former drug users.

His first-ever real peacework experience was Roots. Previously he had been a part of some small-scale initiatives and activities, but nothing close to the Roots level.

“Roots has changed me a lot in all aspects, personal and professional. I was just someone in university, who didn’t know much about the opportunities, exchanges, other cultures, etc. Now I feel more motivated and full of hope to implement projects, to help and understand people, to have a better impact on the community and of course, on myself.

Any experience shapes the way of your thinking. The thing about Roots is that it works both ways: first, you take and then you start to give. I was a guy living his quiet life, with not so much engagement in the community.

During the years of Roots, I have changed a lot. I found a safe space to express myself and to fulfil the potential of helping others. Ever since my relationship with the community has grown and I have become more and more active as a youth leader. I see my progress in Roots, and this is one of the main reasons why I would recommend young people to take part in the course” – Besnik says. 

Besnik is known in the group as a very positive person, with a smile on his face and willingness to help and be a part of various initiatives. Since the first day in Roots, he kept being closely engaged with the project and the participants of Peace Work Institute, especially through social media.

“There are so many unforgettable moments that I always remember with a smile. I think that we are made of moments, and being a #rooter feels like being home.  Every trip had its own uniqueness, but I would go with the trip to Toledo which gave me a sense of belonging and opened me up for bigger opportunities.

I would describe Roots with these words: Understanding, Self-Development, and Support. Roots made me who I am now. It’s like a family where you grow, and then you go through the circle of life.”

Since 2007 and ever growing, from the South to the North, from the East to the West of Europe – the Roots has always been there for those striving to make this world a better and safer place, a peaceful home for all. We go where the need is, responding quickly to the emerging issues with the legacy and mandate, capacity and adaptability gained for all these years.

By donating to the Roots, you invest in youth opinion leaders from all corners of Europe – varied by age, ethnicity, religion, race or wealth, but united with one strong conviction – Peace is the only way!