In a world that is coming apart at the seams, the commitment to peaceful coexistence, democracy and human rights is more important than ever. In order to contribute to greater stability and peace, terre des hommes schweiz works with young people on several levels: local engagement, national politics and global dialog.
We are living in a time of great uncertainty. The multiple crises, climate change, escalating armed conflicts, social polarization and anti-democratic tendencies in many countries are frightening and paralyzing. This makes it all the more important to support young people who are committed to peace and social cohesion. This is why terre des hommes schweiz strengthens youth initiatives for peace in Colombia and Brazil, for example.
Young people in danger
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 200,000 children and young people between the ages of 10 and 29 are killed worldwide every year. Globally, no population group experiences more violence than young people. Brazil and Colombia are not only among the countries most affected by violence, but also among those with the most murders of young people. Social inequality is deeply rooted in both societies and is reflected in unequal access to education, income and healthcare, among other things. These socio-economic differences are closely interwoven with violence, discrimination and exclusion and have their roots in the effects of colonialism and racism. Despite the huge challenges in these countries, courageous young people are working locally to break the spiral of violence.
Peacebuilding begins on a small scale
terre des hommes schweiz promotes projects on peace culture that start directly with young people, in their social environment and at a political level. For example, young people in Colombia learn about methods of non-violent conflict resolution and how they can actively promote a culture of peace in their environment. Victims of violence receive psychosocial support to deal with traumatic experiences. As disadvantaged population groups have little access to justice, they receive legal advice to ensure that crimes are punished and the widespread impunity is overcome. We also support a wide range of initiatives by youth groups and grassroots organizations that help to resolve conflicts peacefully and overcome tensions. All of this helps to break the spiral of violence.
Young people and security policy
In many of our projects, young people experience how they can have political influence when they join forces. In Colombia, youth organizations are fighting for the rights of conscientious objectors and campaigning against forced recruitment. In Brazil, young people are networking across the country to resist racist police violence. Our partner organizations are taking the concerns of these young people to the national citizens' forum, where they are campaigning against anti-human security policies.
Civil society is increasingly being suppressed in many countries around the world. This makes it all the more important for young people to demand respect for democratic rights.
Work at international level
In addition to exerting political influence in their own countries, our partner organizations are also involved in security policy issues at international level. Last year, representatives of the Odara organization travelled to Geneva with the support of terre des hommes schweiz to present their report on police violence in Brazil at the third UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. This gave them international visibility for the human rights violations in their country and enabled them to network with actors from other countries.
Civil society peace work often starts with small initiatives at grassroots level. But small does not mean ineffective. It is precisely through their diversity and proximity to the concerns and needs of young people that such initiatives make an important contribution to the resilience of their society in the face of future crises. With this conviction, terre des hommes schweiz strengthens young people at the grassroots level so that their commitment can have the broadest possible impact - for their personal development, for the security of their environment and for sustainable peace in the world.
