Peace Education and Action for Impact

Event Date: 14th June 2025
Location: Online, 4:00pm BST

You are invited to an upcoming information session on Peace Education and Action for Impact (PEAI)—a global program that equips young people to build peace in themselves and their communities while challenging the systems that sustain war and violence.

Date & Time: 14 June at 4:00 PM UK (BST).
Location: Zoom link will be sent upon registration
Register: https://worldbeyondwar.org/peai-info-session/?clear_id=true

This session will explore the what, why, and how of PEAI and feature powerful stories from youth leaders and their adult allies. You will hear how PEAI has transformed lives, informed futures, and inspired action—while also learning how to join or support the 2025 program.

Why PEAI Matters

PEAI is grounded in a simple but powerful idea: a peaceful world must be built with, by, and for young people. And yet, while many initiatives promote peace, few directly challenge the War System—or support youth to create real alternatives to it.

This gap is understandable—it is easier to promote inner peace and social harmony than to confront militarism. But it is also urgent and dangerous, because war remains the greatest threat to humanity, underpinning the three intersecting existential crises of our time: nuclear weapons, militarized artificial intelligence, and climate breakdown.

As Einstein once said, “The pioneers of a warless world are the young men (and women) who refuse military service.” We agree. But beyond refusal, we need a generation of war abolishers—young people with the tools, networks, and support to replace the War System with a Peace System.

PEAI in Action

Since its creation, PEAI has supported young people, educators, and organizations in 19 countries—including Colombia, Haiti, Iraq, Russia, Serbia, South Sudan, Ukraine, and Venezuela. Participants access award-winning peace education resources, receive mentoring, and collaborate across generations and cultures to co-create youth-led, adult-supported, community-rooted projects that address urgent local and global challenges.

Here are a few testimonies from among the hundreds of youth impacted by PEAI to date:

Support the 2025 Cohort

We are now preparing for the 2025 PEAI program, which begins in September. Country teams are forming in Afghanistan, Egypt, Ghana, Honduras, India, and Pakistan, among others.

Scholarships are essential to ensure that youth from conflict-affected and under-resourced regions can fully participate. Many cannot afford the $300 program fee—but even a small donation can make a significant difference. Your contribution will empower these young leaders to join PEAI and become active change-makers in their communities and beyond.

Although PEAI is developed in collaboration with partners such as the Rotary Action Group for Peace, Rotary districts, and clubs, much of the program is self-funded by World BEYOND War and relies on donations from individuals and small-scale supporters. Every contribution goes directly to educating and empowering young peacebuilders.

What Your Support Enables

$150 gives one young person access to six weeks of peace education
$300 enables one participant to complete the full 14-week program
$3,000 supports an entire country team (10 youth, 2 mentors, 2 coordinators)

This support includes access to award-winning education, project guidance, mentoring, and global exchange opportunities.

Here are testimonials from two dedicated leaders working to bring the PEAI experience to youth in their countries—Omid from Afghanistan and Naheed from Pakistan:

“Youth peace programs in Afghanistan are essential, especially after decades of conflict. Supporting PEAI means investing in Afghanistan’s future by empowering young leaders to drive change. It offer more than lessons—it provides hope and a path to a better future. ”
— Omid Wali, Rotary Peace Fellow, Ph.D. Candidate (Language Policy and Planning of Afghanistan)

“Peace education is crucial in Pakistan given its unique social, political, and historical context. However, access remains limited. PEAI is vital because it equips young people with the skills to foster tolerance, resilience, and a sense of global citizenship and social responsibility.”
— Prof. Dr. Naheed S. Goraya, Rotary Peace Fellow and Director, Centre for South Asian Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore

Ways to Contribute

Donate online: worldbeyondwar.org/action-for-impact
Sponsor a participant or team: Contact [email protected]

Please consider donating to help make the 2025 PEAI cohort a reality. Every contribution strengthens a movement that fills a critical gap in peacebuilding—by addressing war directly and placing youth at the center of pro-peace and anti-war leadership.

“Older men start wars, but younger men fight them,” said Einstein. Let us instead equip young people to prevent, resist, and end war—before war ends us all.

Register for the upcoming zoom event here.

With hope and solidarity,
Phill

Phill Gittins, PhD
Education Director, World BEYOND War
On behalf of the PEAI Team