My Peace: No filters, just truth
First-hand blogs from youth living through crisis and conflict
Peace means different things to different people. But one truth is universal: peace is not something done to or for young people; it must be built with them.
With 50 percent of the world’s population under 30, this generation is the driving force of our future. Yet, many of them - often comprising the majority of those displaced and denied essential services - are living through crisis and conflict. But they are far from bystanders; they are the active peacebuilders, mediators, educators, artists and innovators on the frontlines of peace.
Here are some of their voices.
Carrying the voice of young people to build peace – convictions of a Congolese former child soldier
Former child soldier Muhindo Kamate's journey is an extraordinary testament to courage. After putting down his gun and leaving the armed group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he refused to let the scars of war define him. Instead, he founded the Association of Ex-combatants for Youth Support to offer thousands of other young people an alternative to the violence.
Climate, conflict and courage - a Yemeni activist's fight for change
For Olla Alsakkaf, the fight for peace and climate justice is deeply personal. Now in its tenth year, the complex crisis in Yemen, fueled by conflict, economic collapse and climate shocks, is what drove the 30-year-old economics student into activism.
Choosing not to be broken - a young leader in Ukraine
For Lesia Holoiad, a 28-year-old youth leader in Ukraine, the definition of peace is simple and absolute: “… peace means justice. And if justice requires a struggle, then it is worth it.” Even as the war and the destruction continue to relentlessly reshape communities across Ukraine, Holoiad works daily to build her vision: “My peace is when everyone in Ukraine can study and work without fear, dream without limits and plan without reservations.”
Refusing to be erased - a volunteer’s voice from Gaza
“We are not just numbers or headlines. We are people: mothers, fathers, children—trying to survive and protect one another in impossible conditions. The world must see us, hear us, and stand with humanity. Support humanitarian work. Advocate for safe access. And most importantly, don’t let Gaza be forgotten,” says twenty-seven-year-old Dr. Tasneem Aboalkomboz serving as UN Volunteer in Gaza.