Part of Glencree’s Women’s Leadership Programme in 2022, The Missing Peace project - an EU-funded European Solidarity Corps initiative - focused on supporting young women in developing leadership skills, engaging in policy conversations and making their voices heard in decision-making spaces.
Taking its name from the Progress Study on UN Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, the project responds to concerns about policies built on stereotypical representations of young people that ‘repress the legitimate participation of young people in political processes, social movements, peaceful protest and expressions of dissent’. Striking a balance in whose voices are heard remains essential.
Echoing Ireland’s Third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, the project highlights the unique perspectives women bring to social challenges and the innovative solutions they offer, while encouraging youth empowerment and engagement in conflict prevention and resolution.
Co-designed with 5 young women (aged 18-30), the project 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.
Engaging in a range of participatory experiences, activities included a collaboration between Glencree and the Amal Women’s Association entitled ‘Young Women’s Voices in the Arts’. Project participants engaged with women from across the island of Ireland who actively use arts and culture to support refugees and asylum seekers fleeing conflict. Sharing personal journeys and creative practices, contributors included women from ‘Theatre of Witness’ and voices from Palestine, Zimbabwe, Libya, Nigeria and Northern Ireland as they shared their journey using the arts to promote a more inclusive, peaceful society.
Building on the learnings and connections from the initial project, Glencree applied for EU support to develop a collaborative partnership focused on promoting meaningful youth participation in peace processes. This led to the launch in 2023 of The Missing Peace: Youth, Peace and Reconciliation project under the Erasmus+ programme, in partnership with a consortium of European organisations exploring good practices in youth engagement and peacebuilding.
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