From April 11 to 13, 2025, the city of Berlin hosted a gathering unlike any other — the final conference of the Missing Peace project, a youth-driven initiative that brought together young changemakers, educators, artists, and civil society actors from across Europe. Organized by CGE Erfurt e.V., the conference was the culmination of a year of creative exploration into how youth can build peace through dialogue, storytelling, and collaborative action. Over the course of three days, Berlin became a meeting ground for voices that are too often unheard — voices shaped by diverse lived experiences, perspectives on conflict, and a shared commitment to healing and connection. The event created a vibrant and deeply human space, where art, conversation, and reflection wove together into a rich tapestry of learning and hope.
The conference also reflected on key moments from across the project’s international activities. One of the standout contributions was a webinar organized by TEIS Foundation in Italy, which provided a powerful platform for exploring digital peacebuilding, intergenerational dialogue, and youth participation in times of polarization and misinformation. Equally moving was the film screening and discussion hosted by EKE Bitola in North Macedonia, which delved into collective memory, storytelling, and how communities make sense of conflict and healing through cinema and conversation.
These activities, alongside many others implemented across Germany, Italy, Poland, and North Macedonia, highlighted the diversity and creativity at the heart of Missing Peace. They showed how young people, when trusted and supported, can shape narratives of peace using tools that speak to their generation — be it through film, dialogue, or digital connection. But more than a showcase of outcomes, the Berlin conference was a moment of recognition and renewal. It reminded everyone present that peace is not a distant goal—it is a practice that must be nurtured, challenged, and continuously reimagined. Participants left not just with memories, but with ideas to carry forward, connections to deepen, and a clearer sense of their role in shaping more peaceful and inclusive communities.
Missing Peace was more than a project. It was a journey—of listening, of unlearning, and of imagining a different future. As the conference came to a close, one thing was clear: when young people are given the space to express, connect, and co-create, they don’t just speak up—they transform the conversation. The project was funded by the European Union and implemented by dedicated partners committed to youth empowerment, peace education, and intercultural dialogue.
