“Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through dialogue, education, and through humane ways.”
– Dalai Lama
The world faces many challenges – ongoing wars, rising conflicts, climate crises, and hunger, among many others. Among this rising mountain of problems, young peacebuilders are not sitting on the sidelines. They are stepping up for peace, the environment, and a better world. As part of our Youth Blog Series for International Youth Day on August 12, 2025, we shine a light on Youth and Peacebuilding – why it matters, what it looks like in action, and how Global Peace Foundation (GPF) youth across the globe are making a difference.
Peacebuilding is not just the absence of violence; it is a constant effort to create long-lasting peace. It can be through dialogue, reconciliation, education, trust building, and working out our differences. And no one is better positioned to lead this than today’s youth.
Young people today have a voice unlike any other generation before. They have the energy, creativity, and an innate sense of justice to challenge broken systems. With the power and voice that the youth have, the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security has formally acknowledged young people as critical partners in preventing conflict and sustaining peace.
At GPF, peacebuilding efforts are locally rooted but globally reached and driven by youth. Guided by a values-based approach to peacebuilding, young leaders with GPF believe that real peace grows from recognizing the shared identity and humanity of “One Family Under God” despite a community’s many differences. This perspective helps youth lead with empathy, respect, and purpose in their peacebuilding journey.
Across continents, GPF youth have led initiatives that have brought communities together through service, dialogue, and education. Whether building understanding across faiths, bridging differences in divided communities, or using music and arts to promote unity, the youth-led initiatives have reflected GPF’s commitment to be moral and innovative leaders for peace. One powerful example is the One Korea Global Campaign– a movement advocating for a peaceful, unified Korean peninsula. What began as a call for Korean reunification has evolved into a global peace campaign that mobilizes young people across many nations to stand for freedom, human rights, and shared prosperity. Across countries, through concerts, cultural events, learning circles, and webinars, youth have helped raise awareness about the human cost of the Korean division. In April 2025, young volunteers and staff with GPF Japan hosted the 2nd Japan Young Leaders Assembly (JYLA). The Assembly brought together youth internationally under the shared universal values of peace and human rights. Young leaders took ownership of their roles as “Peace Creators,” where they committed to employing digital tools for peacebuilding, sharing impactful messages.
Meanwhile, GPF Indonesia celebrated its first cohort of Pioneer Peacebuilders through the Global Peace Leadership Corps Indonesia. The nine-month program trained youth to be peacebuilders in their communities. They not only learned about peacebuilding but also engaged in meaningful peace projects in different cities across Indonesia. They bridged religious differences, fostered interfaith understanding, and engaged communities.
Similarly, in Nigeria, young peacebuilders are stepping forward to connect communities impacted by violence. Through the Peace Promoters Initiative by GPF Nigeria, youth volunteers from both Christian and Muslim communities played a key role in fostering peace and stability through local campaigns and peace talks. Under the vision of One Family Under God, the youth from various backgrounds participate in meetings channeling differences and anger into peaceful dialogue to be heard. Young people are at the center of this ongoing peacebuilding process, where a diverse network is built on respecting differences.
Over the years, GPF has continually invested in young leaders as agents of change and peace. From the Korean Peninsula to the heart of Nigeria, GPF has raised peacebuilders with values-based leadership to build bridges and bring communities together. GPF looks forward to continuing its work on youth leadership development and peacebuilding.
As International Youth Day approaches, we appreciate every youth who has advocated for peace and change in their communities. Whether posting stories advocating for peace on social media or taking bold initiatives that protest and challenge the norm, youth are the present and not the future because they are not waiting.
To the youths:
You are the change.
Your voice, your courage, and your actions each day have contributed to a more peaceful world.
We see you, we honor you, and we thank you.
