🇮🇹 "Peacemakers" / 22-30.05.2025 - Furnari (ME), Sicily, Italy
- Be The Change Italy
- Feb 16, 2025
- 10 min read
Updated: Jan 5
Late May 2025 - In Furnari, a small village on Sicily’s northern coast, peace was not only a topic - it was something we practiced. From 22 to 30 May 2025, this quiet town near Tindari and the Tyrrhenian Sea became a place for learning, meeting new people, and building connections.
PEACEMAKERS, an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange, brought together 36 young people from Italy, Türkiye, Serbia, Poland, Greece, and Estonia. We all shared the same goal: to explore peace and understand how it can start from ourselves and then reach others.
Why peace? Because even today, many societies face conflicts, polarisation, and tension. For us, peace is not just “no war”. It is something we can build every day through respect, dialogue, empathy, and small actions.
Using non-formal education, we didn’t only discuss peace - we experienced it. Through games, art, storytelling, and meaningful conversations, we explored questions like:
What does “peace” mean to me, to my community, and to the world?
How can inner calm help us create better relationships?
How can empathy and dialogue reduce conflict and bring people closer?
How can creativity and storytelling help people connect and feel included?
During the week, we worked on peace at three levels: personal, interpersonal, and global. Every day added something new - learning, friendship, and confidence. Below, we share the main highlights from this “travel diary” of peace. Andiamo! 🇮🇹✌️
☮️ Peace Starts from Within: Inside-Out Harmony
Before we could change the world, we learned to find peace in ourselves. The project embraced the idea that peace begins from within - that inner tranquility is the foundation for peaceful dialogue and cohesive societies. Morning mindfulness moments, journaling, and personal reflections were woven into our routine, reminding us to pause and listen to our own thoughts and feelings. By cultivating patience and self-awareness, we prepared to handle conflicts with empathy rather than anger. This inside-out approach became our guiding light: if we could understand and regulate our own emotions, we could better understand others. It’s a simple truth with profound impact - calm minds create kinder worlds. In fact, building peace today requires not only ending violence, but also actively fostering dialogue, mutual respect and social cohesion in our communities. With this philosophy in heart, Peacemakers set out to grow peace one person at a time, then radiate it outward.
👋 Welcome, Icebreakers & Group Rules
We arrived from six different countries, and many of us were meeting for the first time. We brought different languages, cultures, and experiences, but the first activities helped us feel comfortable very quickly. In the welcome session we played icebreakers and energizers, learned each other’s names, and started to connect through simple games and lots of laughter.
After that, we created our group rules together. We discussed what we needed to feel safe and included, and we agreed on common principles like respecting different opinions, listening actively, and giving space to everyone (“one mic, one voice”). We wrote everything on a big poster, which became our shared “group charter” for the whole exchange.
By the end of Day 1, the atmosphere had already changed: we were not just strangers anymore. In the evening, we gathered in a circle and felt excited for the days ahead in Sicily.
🎨 River of Life: Painting Our Stories
One of the first activities that helped us go deeper was River of Life. Each participant created a visual “map” of their life journey, using a river to show the past, the present, and hopes for the future. With paints, markers, and big sheets of paper, everyone worked in a calm atmosphere, focusing on important moments and turning points.
Some rivers were quiet and smooth, others had strong rapids, storms, or waterfalls to represent difficult periods and challenges. After the drawing part, we walked around like in a small gallery and each person explained their river to a small group. It was a very emotional moment: people shared memories, struggles, proud achievements, and personal dreams. Listening to each other helped us understand one another better, and the drawings stayed on the walls for the rest of the week as a reminder of everyone’s strength and growth.
📚 Human Library: Stories That Unite
The Human Library was one of the strongest moments of the exchange. In this activity, some participants became “human books” and shared real personal stories, while the others acted as “readers” who listened and asked respectful questions. The stories covered different topics like stereotypes, identity, conflict, anxiety, bullying, and personal change.
Because the setting was small and safe, people felt comfortable being honest. As listeners, we practiced empathy and active listening, and many of us saw parts of our own experiences in someone else’s story. This activity helped us understand that behind every person there is a complex story, and that listening without judging can create real connection. By the end, the group felt closer, more open, and more supportive of each other.
🧘 Beach Meditation & Mindfulness Moments
Learning about peace also meant taking time to slow down. Since the venue was close to the sea, we used the beach as a natural space for mindfulness. One evening we joined a guided meditation on the shore: sitting in a circle, listening to the waves, and following simple breathing exercises and visualizations.
For many of us it was the first time trying meditation. At the beginning there was a bit of nervous laughter, but after a few minutes the atmosphere became quiet and calm. Focusing on the sound of the sea helped people relax and let go of stress. When we finished, several participants shared strong emotions and a feeling of connection with the group. The session ended with a spontaneous group hug, and for many it became one of the most memorable moments of the exchange.
🍰 Peace Tiramisu: Layers of Harmony
We also explored peace through a creative cooking activity: the Peace Tiramisu. Divided into small teams, we prepared tiramisu together, but with an extra challenge: each ingredient and each layer had to represent something connected to inner peace.
While cooking, teams discussed meanings and turned the dessert into a metaphor. For example, some groups linked mascarpone to compassion, coffee to energy and awareness, and cocoa to small daily actions that can make a difference. The activity was fun and practical, but also reflective: it showed how peace can be built step by step, like a recipe. At the end we tasted all the tiramisus and each team shared the story behind their “peace layers”, mixing learning, teamwork, and a lot of laughter.
🏘️ Community Day in Cefalù: peace in everyday life
One day we left the venue and travelled together to Cefalù. In small mixed groups we explored the old town, observed daily life, and talked about what makes a place feel safe and welcoming. We also climbed to La Rocca and used the panoramic view as a chance to slow down and reflect on the balance between people, nature, and community spaces.
The trip was also part of our creative work. Each national team recorded short video content about peace, and every participant selected at least two personal photos representing peace to include in our final gallery and online dissemination.
☕ World Cafe: EU values and our definitions of peace
To go deeper into the topic, we used the World Cafe method. In mixed groups we rotated between six stations (set up in different balconies and corners), each one focused on a different type of conflict and peace: human vs human, human vs nature, human vs society, and more. At each stop we discussed questions, listened to different perspectives, and wrote key words on paper.
The conversations were linked to European values like respect, democracy, equality, and solidarity. Rotating helped everyone participate, and by the end we created a shared map of ideas. It showed that peace is not only the absence of war, but also everyday choices, care, and inclusion.
🎙️ Voices of Peace: Podcast, Reels and Digital Creativity
By mid-week, the creative energy was very high. We wanted to turn it into concrete outputs and new skills, so we focused on media and digital creativity.
One group explored podcasting and turned a quiet corner of the venue into a small “Peaceful Podcast” studio, using professional microphones. In pairs or trios, participants tried the roles of hosts and guests, speaking about questions like “What does peace mean to me?”, sharing reflections from the week, or interviewing each other about personal experiences and challenges. At the start some people felt shy, but step by step the recordings became smoother and more confident. The result was a series of short podcast episodes collecting different voices and perspectives.
🎧 “Peaceful Podcast”
🎬 Final testimonial video
A short and engaging video where participants share expectations, meaningful moments, and what they learned about trust, empathy, and intercultural dialogue. It’s especially useful for promoting future mobility opportunities, explaining the value of Erasmus+ to families and stakeholders, and motivating new young people to join.
At the same time, another team created short video reels and raising awereness videos on the topic of peace. With smartphones and a lot of ideas, they filmed amazing short movies ready to be shared online.
📹 Awareness videos
🎥 Project Video
Another group worked on the Digital Booklet, an e-magazine collecting the main parts of the experience. They gathered photos, quotes, reflection highlights, and creative outputs, and started designing the pages as a clear and visual story of the week.
📘 Final Digital Booklet
A digital booklet that collects the whole journey in one place: key activities, photos, quotes, reflections, daily reports, and main results. It works both as a memory of the exchange and as a practical documentation tool that partners can forward to youth centres, local authorities, schools, and other NGOs.
🎤 TEDx-Style Peace Talks
Public speaking can be scary, and it was one of the fears mentioned during Day 1. Still, by the end of the exchange, many participants were ready to try. We organised a TEDx-style sharing session where each person could speak for a few minutes and share their own “Peace Talk”.
People prepared in different ways: some wrote notes, some practised with friends, and some decided to speak more freely. The topics were diverse and personal. Participants spoke about inner peace and mental wellbeing, about growing up with conflict or tension around them, about learning to listen, and about how misunderstandings can become opportunities for intercultural learning. We set up the common hall as a simple auditorium with a small stage area and a supportive audience.
The atmosphere was warm and respectful. Every talk was followed by applause, and many participants said they felt proud because they managed to speak in front of the group, often in a language that is not their first. We also recorded the talks to use them for dissemination.
🌍 Intercultural Nights: Around the World in 6 Dinners
Intercultural Nights were one of the most fun parts of the week. Each evening, one or two national teams hosted a cultural moment for the group, sharing food, music, games, traditions and small stories from home. It felt like travelling without leaving the venue.
Italy and Poland opened with a warm mix of flavours and humour: Italian snacks and a lot of “how to speak with your hands” moments, followed by Polish specialities and a simple folk dance that quickly involved everyone. Another night, Greece and Türkiye brought a Mediterranean vibe with typical food, a few basic dance steps, and a lot of energy. Later, Serbia and Estonia closed the circle with their own traditions, a group game, and plenty of laughs.
What made these evenings special was not only the food, but the feeling of sharing. People joined dances even if they didn’t know the steps, tried new words in different languages, and learned small cultural details directly from peers. These nights helped the group feel closer and made diversity feel natural and enjoyable.
🎪 Photo Exhibition in Furnari
As the week was coming to an end, it was time to share our journey with the local community. During the Peace Photo Exhibition in Furnari, we created a small exhibition space with printed photos, short videos, and key messages from the group. Participants welcomed visitors, explained the meaning behind their images, and invited people to reflect with us on what peace looks like in everyday life.
It was meaningful to see local residents and guests stop, ask questions, and leave their own thoughts. For many of us, this was the first time presenting our work to an external audience, and it made us feel like real multipliers of what we learned during the exchange.
💞 Closing Circle and Goodbye Emotions
All good things must come to an end, but we wanted to close in a way that felt honest and complete. On our last evening, we met on the beach for the Secret Friend reveal and a final closing circle. We discovered who had been supporting us during the week and exchanged small notes, kind messages, and words of appreciation.
In the final circle, everyone shared one feeling and one learning they will take home. It was a simple moment, but very emotional: a lot of hugs, gratitude, and the feeling that the group had become a real community. It helped us say goodbye with a strong sense of belonging, and with clear ideas of what we want to bring back to our daily lives.
🌍 Dissemination and Impact: Beyond the Exchange
Our journey didn’t end on departure day. The impact keeps travelling with us through the stories we share, the outputs we created, and the small actions we bring back home.
Social media updates: During the exchange we posted daily stories, photo highlights, short reels and behind-the-scenes moments on Instagram and Facebook. Many participants also reposted the content, helping our peace messages reach people outside the group.
⭐ Instagram Highlights - Peacemakers Moments
A quick, story-style recap of the exchange: daily vibes, behind-the-scenes, group energy, fun challenges, and the most emotional moments - shared in real time by participants and partners. 🔗 https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18263799283261210/
📺 YouTube Playlist - Peacemakers Video Archive
The full collection of project videos in one place: testimonials, awareness clips, creative outputs, and key activities.
🖼️ Photo and visual storytelling collection
A collection of photos and creative visual outputs that represent personal definitions of peace.
🧰 Digital Educational Toolkit
A practical toolkit designed for youth workers and organisations that want to run similar sessions. It turns the Peacemakers experience into concrete learning activities with clear aims, materials, timing, facilitation tips, and suggested debrief questions. It supports replicability without needing to copy the project exactly.
✌️ Be the Change
As we close our Peacemakers story, one thing is clear: young people can be real agents of change. A more peaceful and connected world is not an abstract idea - it starts when ordinary people meet, learn from each other, and take small actions in daily life.
If this week in Sicily sparked something in you, consider joining an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange or getting involved in a local youth project. It’s a chance to step outside your routine, meet people with different backgrounds, explore topics you care about, and grow in a very practical way.
To the participants: keep the peacemaker spirit alive in your everyday choices. To everyone reading: we hope this story encourages you to take your own step. Peace is built with simple actions, repeated over time - and it grows faster when we do it together.
🌐 Our Partnership ❤️
A huge thank you to our incredible partner organisations who made Peacemakers possible. Each of them brought experience, energy and commitment, contributing to a truly meaningful Erasmus+ Youth Exchange.
Special thanks to the Agenzia Italiana per la Gioventù, the Erasmus+ Programme, and Tindari Village for their invaluable support throughout the project.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Grazie❤️
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