| Type | Charity |
|---|---|
| Registration No. | 1095189 |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Location | The White House, 46 High Street, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, SG9 9AH |
| Focus | sustainable development, youth-led development, youth empowerment |
| Mission | Empowering young people to be the change they want to see in the world |
| Method | Educational publications, musicals, youth congresses |
| Members | 24 registered affiliates and representatives around the world |
| Website | peacechild.org |
Peace Child International is a UK based charity focusing on sustainable development and youth empowerment.
Contents |
Peace Child International began during the Cold War as a musical, based on Bernard Benson's The Peace Book, aimed at resolving conflict between the USA and USSR, and at bringing youth from both countries into contact. The first performance was in October 1981 at the Royal Albert Hall, with Susannah York as the narrator. The musical was then taken to the United States, where it was premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. in December 1982. The core of the musical was composed by David Gordon and written by David Woollcombe, but it was re-written and customised by the cast wherever it was performed[1]. Since its debut the musical has been used in conflict resolution efforts in Azerbaijan and Armenia, Central America, Cyprus, the former Yugoslavia[2], India, Israel[3] and Northern Ireland.
After the Earth Summit in June 1992, Peace Child produced a children's version of Agenda 21, Rescue Mission: Planet Earth. The book was designed, edited and aimed at young people and went on to be translated into 23 languages. Since this point, Peace Child has focused mainly on sustainable development issues, and produced a number of further publications on the subject with UN agencies.
This project aims to mobilise youth around the world in the run-up to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development. The project consists of a number of components, including regional youth meetings around the world, the development of a global youth statement on sustainable development and the green economy, a series of educational booklets and a teacher's workbook on sustainable development, and a green business contest[4].
The Create the Change programme uses forum theatre techniques and peer-to-peer education to reduce bullying and discrimination in UK schools. The programme aims to build confidence, resilience and conflict resolution skills in young people[5].
Since 1999, Peace Child has organised the approximately bi-annual World Youth Congress (WYC), which aims to promote the role that young people can play in the field of sustainable development and the achievement of the UN's Millennium Development Goals[6].
The first WYC, held in Hawaii in 1999, focused on establishing priorities for the new millennium for young people from all regions of the world, with the top worldwide priority being appropriate education[7].
The second WYC was held in Casablanca, Morocco, with the themes of tolerance, solidarity, and the role of young people in sustainable development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Delegates to the conference also spent time participating in action projects organised by Moroccan NGOs in all provinces of the country[8].
The Scottish WYC, held in Stirling in August 2005, explored young people's motivations to volunteer and had an overall theme of 'yuong people working for a sustainable world community'. As in the previous Congress, delegates spent three days working on a range of action projects throughout Scotland[9].
The fourth WYC was held in Quebec City in August 2008 under the name Regeneration 2008. The Congress celebrated the role of youth in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, youth empowerment, and the 'co-management' model of equal partnership between youth and elders[10].
The fifth WYC was held in Istanbul in August 2010 with the theme of "Imece" (a centuries-old solidarity system used in rural Turkey, consisting of mutual aid and working together for the good of the community), and with three sub themes: Measuring and Evaluating Youth Led Development, the Post-MDGs Development Agenda, and the Climate Change Agenda after Kyoto and COP15[11].
The sixth WYC will be held in Rio De Janeiro in May 2012 with a focus on sustainable development. This Congress will revisit the promises made by governments during the Earth Summit in 1992 (which was also held in Rio). The Congress is designed to tie-in with the Rio 2012 conference being held in June.
Peace Child International also organises the European Youth Congress (EYC), a similar event focused exclusively on European issues. The EYC has currently taken place three times, at St Donat's Castle, Wales in 2004, Mürzzuschlag, Austria in 2007, and Izola, Slovenia in 2009.