The International Youth for Peace Workshop “Sowing seeds together for a change” started on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 in Dar es Salaam/Tanzania with 28 participants from eleven different countries. The participating youth are involved in GNRC activities in their home countries and will spend five days together to develop and strengthen their skills on Peace Building and Interfaith Youth work to later on share their new knowledge with the members of their groups in their home countries.

mm/DSC_0997.JPG The Workshop started with an Opening Sessions where the participants got information about the schedule and they also got to know the facilitators of the Workshop. After this short briefing it was time for the participants to get to know each other. The youth did not only learn about the name and home countries of the others, but through various activities they found out about their hobbies, interests, thoughts, heroes in life – and through this experienced what they have in common with each other. After this, the participants planted their first “seeds”, writing down what they expect to take home from the workshop – in their heads, hearts and hands.

In the afternoon, the youth learned more about the activities they are doing in their home countries. Therefore the participants explained the situation of their mm/DSC_1179.JPG countries and the environments they are living in and how the youth groups are organized in their countries. Then they gave more details about their youth group activities, which topics play a big role in the meeting, which challenges they are facing and how the youth groups are involved in schools and communities.

mm/DSC_1257.JPGThe day ended the Opening Ceremony took place with the presence of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children. Peace Club Members from Dar es Salaam entertained the audience with music, dances and acrobatics.


Continue reading International Youth Peace Workshop Tanzania 2010, Day 1