An exciting opportunity for student leaders to examine conflict transformation is coming up this spring. The NUS-USI Student Movement in Northern Ireland has been successful in attracting funding for an exchange with youth organisations in Croatia and Serbia in former Yugoslavia, as part of its Student Community Relations Programme.
The overall aim of the project is to support young community leaders in addressing issues of conflict, equality and diversity. The theme of this exchange is building the peace and the role of the participants as young community leaders within that process.
The challenging programme will include training in mediation and facilitation, local community visits and cultural activities. The group will work in the local contexts of Northern Ireland and former Yugoslavia, meeting politicians, community workers and those directly effected by the conflicts. The delegation from Serbia and Croatia will arrive in Northern Ireland on 17th April for two weeks and the NUS-USI group will travel to the Balkans at the end of August.
According to Caroline Wilson, NUS-USI Community Relations Advisor "This exciting project will expose student leaders to innovative approaches in tackling conflict, enabling participants to develop community relations programmes in their colleges on their return. There are many parallels between the conflicts in Northern Ireland and the Balkans region and this exchange will explore how young people and students can contribute to peace and reconciliation work on campus and in our community."
The exchange is funded by the European Union and NUS-USI, building on the success of two previous Student Community Relations Programme exchanges to South Africa and Norway. There are eight places for students from Northern Ireland and four places for Southern students. Experiment in International Living in Cork, Youth Peace Group, Danube and the Belgrade Post-Pessimists are the partner organisations on this project.
Caroline Wilson NUS-USI Community Relations Advisor
Table of Contents of Newsletter 10