The Missing Peace: Young Women in Peacebuilding

Undertaken as part of the Glencree Women’s Leadership Programme in 2022, this Missing Peace project is an EU funded European Solidarity Corps initiative that supports young women in developing their leadership skills, actively engaging in policy conversations, and having their voices heard at decision-making tables.

In the Progress Study on UN Resolution 2250 Youth, Peace and Security, ‘The Missing Peace’ (after which the project is named) warns that policies built upon stereotypical representations of young people ‘repress the legitimate participation of young people in political processes, social movements, peaceful protest and expressions of dissent’. There needs to be a balance in terms of the voices we hear.

Ireland’s Third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security states that women can present a unique perspective on social issues affecting our communities and can offer innovative solutions. Moreover, it encourages young empowerment and engagement in efforts to prevent and resolve conflict.

Thus, the Missing Peace aims to:

  • Support women in developing their leadership skills and reaching their full potential.
  • Enable and empower young women to make a meaningful contribution to political and decision-making processes.
  • Support women in having their voices heard and being able to raise issues that are affecting them.
  • Promote a more peaceful and inclusive community.
  • Project Activities

    This co-designed project with 5 young women (aged 18-30) centered on a journey of reflective, hands-on learning to build their leadership skills and role as valuable contributors in their communities and the wider community of women peacebuilders.

    Activities included a Glencree collaboration with the Amal Women’s Association entitled ‘Young Women’s Voices in the Arts’. The participants engaged with women from across the island of Ireland who actively use arts and culture to support refugees and asylum seekers fleeing conflict. Contributors included women from ‘Theatre of Witness’ and from Palestine, Zimbabwe, Libya, Nigeria and Northern Ireland as they shared their journey using the arts to promote a more inclusive, peaceful society.

    For further details about this project and the activities undertaken, please email: Holly.Taylor@glencree.ie.

    The Missing Peace project is part of Glencree’s Women’s Leadership Programme. This programme aims to support and empower women on the island of Ireland who have experience of political conflict/violence to become active leaders in the political processes that promote peacebuilding. A key initiative of the programme is the Glencree All-Island Women's Peacebuilding Network. >

    To find out more about Glencree’s Women’s Leadership Programme, please click on this link

    #WomensVoices

    The Missing Peace: Youth, Peace & Reconciliation

    As this one-year project drew to a close, further learnings and network development subsequently led to Glencree’s application to the EU to support a collaborative partnership among European partner organisations to explore good practices to promote young people's meaningful participation in peace processes.

    In 2023, together with a consortium of partners, Glencree began work on the Erasmus+ ‘The Missing Peace: Youth, Peace and Reconciliation’ Project. To find out more about this project, click on the link below.

    parallax background

    View more of our programmes and international work