Truce 20/20 is a groundbreaking partnership project between Peace Direct – a charity that funds, promotes and learns from the work of local peacebuilders internationally and Conflict and Change.
Truce 20/20 is rooted in an ancient Greek Olympic tradition. From the seventh day prior to the opening of the games to the seventh day following their closing, conflicts ceased so that athletes, artists and spectators could travel safely to Olympia for the Games and return home. This Truce was only temporary, our Truce 20/20 project in Newham brings alive that ideal but with the intention of a more permanent truce. by developing conflict resolution skills in local young people aged 16-21. This will create a community of young people who can, with support, develop local peace building projects to help make Newham a safer and more welcoming place for the 2012 Games and thereafter.
Young peace builders start by taking part in the accredited Quarrel Shop course run by Leap Confronting Conflict which trains them in conflict resolution and mediation skills. The course also offers workshop facilitation techniques, which helps the young people to work confidently with their peers in local youth organisations and other settings. Personal development, managing their own attitudes to anger and violence and encouraging an understanding of the role of conflict will benefit every day lives and relationships – at school, at work, at home and in the community.
The second stage, participants get the chance to learn face to face from some of Peace Direct’s international peace builders from 'hot conflict areas" on how to develop peace building projects – the challenges, dangers, rewards and commitment involved . So far there’ve been visits from peacebuilders Dishani and Jayantha from Sri Lanka and Henri from the Democratic Republic of Congo. In early 2009, Ashima from Kashmir will visit the project.
In the final stage the young people work with our local partner, Conflict and Change to develop and deliver local peace building projects.
• Training their peers in conflict resolution at youth clubs and secondary schools, alongside Conflict and Change staff .
• Representing the UK at the Royal Commonwealth international conference on leadership and peacebuilding in Cyprus in 2008.
• Facilitating ‘community conversations’ involving different generations, faiths and ethnic groups in Newham.
• Working with local police for the Adam Regis murder appeal
• Presenting an international ‘Arc of Peace’ event at the Frontline Club in London
The project’s been running for just over a year and already three groups of Truce 20/20 participants have been trained and are now developing projects in their community. The take up of projects by the young people who’ve been on a Truce training course is well over 80% - a clear indication of the ongoing success of this project.
