Roots for Peace – Strategy

As stated in the World YMCA Vision 2030, our Movement believes in the power of young people and
communities to promote and advance justice, peace, equity and human rights for all. Hence the YMCA
Europe with its Roots for Peace project aims at attributing to all the 5 principal objectives set in its
Strategy 2021 – 2026, namely:

• Relevance: that on the one hand, it efforts to heal the trauma caused by conflicts, on the other – based
on Do No harm approach – continues building trust between the conflict sides.
• Representation: that based Reflecting on Peace Practices approach it structurally attempts to
attribute to the peace at large, to this end maintaining synergies with actors like Council of Europe.
• Relationship: that it ensures cross-border and international cooperation transforming collaborative
learning into collaborative action.
• Resilience: that the project helps war affected young people and communities to stay strong and
hopeful.
• Response: that it directly contributes to the YMCA Europe action towards the current humanitarian
crisis of Ukraine, Palestine, Karabakh.

 

Roots for Peace – Aim & Objectives

The project aim or developmental goal is:

Young people are empowered as actors for prevention and peaceful
transformation of conflicts in Europe and its neighborhood.

The following objectives are set to attribute to the above aim:

1.Young women and men from conflict regions have changed their attitude and
behaviour towards dealing with conflicts.

2.Young people from Karabakh are better able to deal with stress and the blows of
fate.

 

Roots Roots for Peace – Key Activities

1. Pool of Experts: annual (3) up-skilling workshops and ongoing network;
2. Peace Work Institute (PWI): 2 back-stopping workshop and 2 training sessions;
3. Local Capacities for Peace (LCP): training of multipliers and community
projects;
4. Roots Award & Media Campaigning: annual (3) Peace Awards accompanied
with ongoing awareness and legacy campaigning;
5. Artsakh Exodus Response: ad hoc projects involving YMCA Artsakh in exile and
Rootsmade platform.
6. Project External Evaluation: outcome and impact assessment by experts, plus a
workshop.