On April 24th, 2025, Berlin hosted the final conference of The Missing Peace, a two-year Erasmus+ project that explored how young people can become active agents of peace and reconciliation through non-formal education, dialogue, and creative community engagement. More than forty participants—including youth workers, educators, researchers, and civil society actors—from across Europe gathered to reflect on lessons learned and set future directions for peace education in practice.
The conference marked the culmination of a collaborative journey led by Culture Goes Europe (CGE) Erfurt e.V., together with the project’s coordinator Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation (Ireland) and partners CitizensAct (Cyprus) Merkinės Kultūros Centras (Lithuania), TEIS Foundation (Hungary), EKE Bitola (North Macedonia).
The conference took place at Refugio, a multicultural community space in the heart of Berlin city. We are incredibly grateful for the collaboration with Berliner Stadtmission – Evangelische Kirche.
From the outset, the conference invited critical reflection on how peace is defined, constructed, and lived—particularly by those most affected by conflict and injustice. In her opening keynote, Alejandra Ortiz-Ayala, PhD (Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt) highlighted that “local communities must be the ones to define what peace means for them.” Drawing on her experience in conflict-affected regions, she urged participants to let go of assumptions and labels—especially when working with former combatants—and instead enter communities with humility, rigor, accountability, and curiosity. Her call for asking not only good, but uncomfortable questions, set the tone for the day’s reflections.
Photo: Nela Kłosiewicz
These insights were further explored during a dynamic fishbowl discussion, where participants tackled themes of positionality, privilege, and power. The discussion examined how young people from marginalized backgrounds navigate peacebuilding spaces, and how facilitators must avoid flattening their experiences in the name of “shared values.” A recurring theme was the need to reframe the notion of “expertise” in peacebuilding—not as technical knowledge imposed from above, but as the ability to walk alongside others, support lived experience, and facilitate relational learning. As one participant put it: “A trainer is a values holder, not just a method user.”
Photos: Maryna Bykova & Nela Kłosiewicz
In the afternoon, the conference opened into a vibrant Peace Bazaar — an informal exhibition and networking space where both project partners and external organizations shared tools, practices, and stories. Participants engaged with:
– the Missing Peace Toolkit, showcasing activities co-developed during the project’s youth exchanges and training courses;
– a poster gallery illustrating local initiatives and findings from the comparative report on reconciliation practices;
– interactive resources focused on intergenerational dialogue, peer mediation, and art-based approaches to conflict transformation.
The Peace Bazaar was included the stands and representation from:
NGO NEST Berlin, Comparative Research Network e.V., Willy Brandy School of Public Policy (University of Erfurt), Wellbeing for Everyone gUG, Mensch Raum Land e.V., eSquare e.V. and Friedenskreis Halle e.V.
In addition to the consortium members, several invited contributors from beyond the partnership played a key role in enriching the exchange:
– Natalia Skorik, director of eSquare e.V., who moderated the first Panel Discussion “From Vision to Impact”.
– Bujar Luma, peacebuilding practitioner and director of LOJA – Center for Balkan Cooperation, delivered a powerful keynote exploring memory and identity in borderland regions, offering deep insights into reconciliation work rooted in place and story.
– Niamh Flynn, capacity builder and trainer from Ireland, member of the OSCE Pool of Young Experts, actively engaged in the Fishbowl Discussion “Youth, Peace, and Security: Strengthening Capacity for Lasting Impact“, co-delivered a workshop “Sarah’s Story Theatre Performance- Exploring Coercive Control“.
– Giulio Brogi, EU project manager at NGO NEST Berlin, contributed through participation in the Fishbowl Discussion, informal knowledge exchange and networking during the Peace Bazaar.
– Catherine Ferrin, creative arts advocate, peacebuilding practitioner, chairwoman at Silver Sister Productions, led a workshop “Sarah’s Story Theatre Performance- Exploring Coercive Control“.
– Chris Rotsakis, a youth activist from Cyprus known under the name @cypriotwithsign, founder member of HADE initiative, contributed with input during the Panel Discussion “Youth voices in peacebuilding”.
– Lila Reshadi, intern on the Women’s Leadership Programme at Glencree Center for Peace and Reconciliation, speaker at the Panel Discussion “Youth voices in peacebuilding”, co-delivered a workshop “Sarah’s Story Theatre Performance- Exploring Coercive Control“.
– Tobias Glismann, junior facilitator, youth activist, and student of geography with passion of filmmaking, speaker at the Panel Discussion “Youth voices in peacebuilding”.
Keynote speech by Bujar Luma, Director of the Center for Balkan Cooperation LOJA. Photo: Nela Kłosiewicz
The day also marked the official launch of the Actors of Peace and Reconciliation network, introduced by Mariana Matoso (CGE Erfurt). This newly established initiative aims to provide a lasting platform for connection, co-learning, and collaboration among practitioners and educators committed to building more peaceful, inclusive societies. Open to members from across Europe and beyond, the network will continue to share tools, foster new projects, and elevate youth-led peacebuilding efforts. As the conference closed, participants were invited to envision the future of peace work: What do we need to start doing today to ensure peace 20 years from now? The answers were varied but converged around a shared vision—embedding mediation in early education, addressing the imbalance between military and peacebuilding funding, creating space for slower, relational processes, and continuing to resist standardization in favor of deeply contextual, community-rooted action.
His Excellency Mr. Ylber Sela, Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia to the Federal Republic of Germany, honoured the Shared Space, Shared Future conference with his presence and attended the keynote speech delivered by Mr. Bujar Luma, Director of the Center for Balkan Cooperation LOJA. From left to right: Bujar Luma, Ylber Sela, Vele Georgiev.
Photo: Nela Kłosiewicz
In a world that often demands fast results and measurable outputs, The Missing Peace reminded us that peace is slow, relational, and deeply human. It lives in presence, in dialogue, and in the small acts of connection we choose to sustain over time. As one participant said:
“Perhaps the greatest contribution of Erasmus+ is that it gives people a chance to meet, recognize each other, and realize they’re not alone”.
The conference “Shared Space, Shared Future: A Multi-Level Approach to Youth-Led Reconciliation and Social Cohesion“ is part of The Missing Peace project, co-funded by the European Union through Leargas – Irish National Agency (Project number: 2022-2-IE01-KA220-YOU-000096690).
