From the 13th to the 18th of April, three of our collaborators participated in the Training Course ‘Developing a Culture of Peace in Youth Work’ in the Netherlands, where Nexes Interculturals was one of the partner organisations. The course was addressed to youth workers and gathered 21 participants from Spain, Hungary, Croatia and Serbia.
The training started with a collective reflection on the forms of violence that we normalise in everyday life. From this analysis, the concept of active peace was introduced, and one of the central elements was the cooperative game ‘Peace Please’. Through challenge and action cards, the group faced challenges that required dialogue, sociocratic decision-making and teamwork.
The methodology of sociocracy as a tool for horizontal decision-making was explored in depth, applied to both the daily organisation of the group and the game.Nonviolent Communication was also addressed, through practical exercises to connect with emotions, identify needs and review personal strategies. These lessons served as a basis for working on self-care and personal limits, combining theory with theatre dynamics.
Additionally, the reflection on privilege and how to manage it was addressed in order to generate a positive social impact. In this framework Nexes facilitated a session of The Change, an educational game on transformative economies, which encouraged the exchange of ideas and approaches among participants.
On the last day, groups were formed to adapt the dynamics of the game – initially developed for adult educators – to work with young people. Possible workshops were devloped in order to replicate the experience in local contexts. The course concluded with a sharing of lessons learned, ideas and commitments to continue building a culture of peace through educational action.