A United Peace Movement – International Youth Council

A United Peace Movement - International Youth Council

Mid October, 143 volunteers and colleagues from 18 countries gathered in Hammamet, Tunisia for our International Youth Council. The International Youth Council exists of two members from each membership organisation in Cross Cultures and meets every two years. The purpose of the International Youth Council is to discuss the strategy as well as advise Cross Cultures Board on future strategic developments and projects. We spent five days working together in strategy workshops, Fun Football rotations, Zumba, yoga, meditation, beach volley, dancing, foot tennis etc. to develop Cross Cultures and our projects. All activities were co-organised by volunteers and colleagues across different countries, creating a fantastic ambience and collaboration.

Especially, when we created our two marketplaces. The first one was internal for all the participants to visit and learn about each other’s projects in the different countries. The second one was held in Tunis and opened by the Tunisian Minister of Sport and Youth. Various organisations and Ministries, such as UNICEF, Council of Europe, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Institut français, Danish Refugee Council, the Danish-Arab-Partnership-Programme, the Danish Youth Council, Tunisian Scouts, the British Council, OXFARM Tunisia, the Ministry of Youth and Sport, and the Tunisian Sports Federation (among others), joined.
At the marketplace, each country involved in Cross Cultures international network created their own stand representing their country and the unique approaches of Cross Cultures project in their country.

The mix of volunteers, coordinators, and representatives from different ministries and organisations showed us how our projects come in various approaches corresponding to the local contexts, yet when we are all together, we can work as a united peace movement across the world

With this new experience, our youth volunteers and coordinators co-developed Cross Cultures ambitions for 2027 and their recommendations for the board. The below illustration was the result: