By Denise Callan, Momentum
The power of music as a peacebuilding avenue for youth, and the spirit of inclusion and integration through cultural activity were all in evidence when MY PEACE partners met for the first in-person Transnational Project Meeting in July in Bordeaux, France.
After many months of meeting online, this was an opportunity for partners to get to know each other better, share ideas, collaborate, and plan the next steps for the project. The meeting was hosted by Patrick Duval and Emma Asensio of project lead Musique de Nuit(MDN), supported by Judyth Babin of Le Laba and held at the La Palmer de Rocher in Cenon, a cultural centre and performance venue. Partners enjoyed a guided tour of the very impressive facility with informal discussions on the venue, the work of MDN, and how that related to the experiences of other partners.
Following the tour, the formal activity of the meeting began. The in-person dynamic came to life with each partner having the opportunity to report on their MY PEACE activities to date. The Partners, who came from France, Germany, Ukraine, Ireland, and Bosnia & Herzegovina shared the insights already gleaned, and any challenges they had encountered.
The MY PEACE project aims to empower youth to become engaged in the peacebuilding process through music, in a way that appeals to our target audience of young people aged 18-30. The project will develop a Peacebuilding Approach Roadmap, to inspire and support youth educators, music, and peace stakeholders. The roadmap will be developed following research with key stakeholders and will include a methodology to explain the approach, and a compendium of good peacebuilding through music examples. The project will also produce a series of music production events and an international training event to engage young people directly and create material for a shared content portal.
By developing these resources MY PEACE will inspire young people to see themselves as agents of positivity and peace. Encouraging and supporting them to use music as a creative resource to address challenges of physical violence but also cultural and social challenges as well as issues around behaviour, relationships, and hierarchical structures that can impact integration and advancement. Using music as a tool in this innovative way provides young people with a safe, non-intimidating platform for communication and the free expression of emotions thoughts, and ideas to promote inclusion and create a sense of community and belonging. The project will also equip young people with essential social skills including communication, leadership, and empathy. Skills that are essential for resolving conflict and building lasting peace.
Meeting in person cannot be matched – the opportunities to ask questions, discuss challenges encountered, and offer each other support and suggestions to help overcome any challenges. Le Laba also conducted a Sustainability Activity Workshop, an excellent session, with project partners collaborating in very practical and productive ways to support each other's activity.
A busy and fruitful day ended with the entire group attending the Festival Hauts de Garrone at Bassens, organised by Musique de Nuit. An evening of networking, while listening to great bands and enjoying a range of excellent food from the multicultural food trucks at the event was a wonderful opportunity to bring the power of music to the fore.
A key element of the partner meeting was the opportunity to share our work to date and plans for the next few months with the French National Agency whose representatives attended on Day 2. It was wonderful for the continuing success of the project to get very practical feedback from the National Agency representatives. The morning meeting wrapped up with a lunch followed by an invitation for the entire consortium to attend the Palmer Block party, again music to the fore.
The MY PEACE partners extended warm thanks to our hosts from MDN and the team at Le Laba for the welcome they extended to the consortium in Bordeaux and the excellent management of the meeting and supporting activities.