HWPL and IPYG Join 1,000 Young People in Malawi for Peace Education | Building a Peaceful Future Together

 

Who should build peace?

 

In Malawi, an international peace education program sought to find the answer through young people’s learning and action.

 

The 2026 Youth Empowerment for Peace Class (YEPC), organized by IPYG in partnership with Malawi’s National Youth Council (NYCOM), was held from May 28 to June 25.

More than 1,000 young people in Malawi registered for the program, with cumulative attendance reaching 1,005 across the five live sessions.

The numbers are certainly impressive, but what stands out even more is the program’s focus on recognizing young people as active agents of peace.

  

🌍Youth Peace Education in Malawi: A Partnership Between IPYG and NYCOM

 

The program was made possible through a partnership between IPYG and Malawi’s National Youth Council (NYCOM).

IPYG developed the curriculum, provided peace education content, and managed the online program, while NYCOM promoted the initiative and recruited participants through its nationwide network of youth organizations and young leaders.

What makes this partnership particularly meaningful is that a government institution and youth networks worked together to provide young people with opportunities for peace education.

 

The program was also described as aligning with Malawi 2063, the country’s long-term national development strategy, which emphasizes youth empowerment, civic participation, and social development.

📌 Rather than simply teaching young people about peace, the program was designed to empower them to become active participants in creating change within their communities and country.

 

 

📚 Five Sessions: From Cultural Heritage to AI and Leadership

 

The YEPC program consisted of five sessions in total.

 

✔Three sessions focused on cultural heritage.

✔One session focused on artificial intelligence (AI).

✔One session focused on youth leadership.

 

When we hear the term “peace education,” it is easy to think only of conflict or war.

What makes this program stand out is the way it explored peace through a wide range of topics, including culture, religion, technology, and leadership.

  

🕊 Learning to Respect Differences Through Cultural Heritage

 

The cultural heritage sessions explored religions and cultural heritage from around the world, emphasizing that understanding diversity and respecting different cultures and religions are essential foundations for building peaceful communities.

​Participants were also introduced to cultural festivals from around the world, along with a case study of peacebuilding in Mindanao, the Philippines.

 

The sessions also invited participants to view peace as a shared heritage that should be passed on to future generations, while recognizing that their own efforts to practice and spread peace can also become a form of “living heritage.”

Ultimately, it seems to suggest that peace does not begin only with grand declarations, but can also begin with the simple act of understanding one another’s differences.

  

🤖 In the Age of AI, People Matter More Than Technology

 

Another notable part of the program was its session on artificial intelligence.

Under the theme “AI Vaccine: Building Resilience for Peace,” generative AI was introduced as a practical tool for young peace leaders.

Participants learned how to use major AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok, while also exploring the importance of analytical thinking and resilience in preparing for the future.

 

One message from the session was particularly striking.

AI does not create peace. People do.

 

The idea is simple: technology is a tool, and the human heart is the compass that gives it direction.

As AI continues to advance rapidly, this highlights the growing importance of human responsibility and ethics in deciding how technology should be used.

  

👥 Young People Are Not Just Beneficiaries of Peace — They Are Peacebuilders

 

The final session on youth leadership was led by Alick Kampeza, a peacebuilding and social cohesion specialist with Malawi’s Department of National Unity under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

Kampeza was introduced as someone who had been involved in initiatives including Malawi’s Peace and Unity Act, the establishment of the Malawi Peace and Unity Commission, and the development of the country’s National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security.

 

The session explored how conflict and violence affect young people and their communities, while highlighting the important role youth leadership can play in encouraging dialogue, preventing conflict, and building resilient and peaceful communities.

Above all, the session emphasized that young people are key actors in building peaceful communities. 

 

💬 What the Young Participants Had to Say

 

The significance of the program could also be seen in the reflections shared by the participants.

Juliana Paul, a student at the Malawi University of Science and Technology, said the program helped her see religion not only as cultural heritage but also as a means of achieving peace.

Another participant, Emmanuel Joseph, said one of the messages that stayed with him most was that fear can arise when people do not know one another, and that understanding others can be the starting point for peace and communication.

 

Understanding different cultures and religions.

Perhaps the starting point of peace education is much closer to us than we might think.

It begins when we move beyond simply thinking, “They’re different from me,” and instead seek to understand why we are different.

  

🌱 Peace Education That Goes Beyond the Five Live Sessions

 

But the program does not end with the five live sessions.

Online learning continues through recorded lectures, and participants who complete the full program are expected to receive certificates of completion jointly issued by NYCOM and IPYG.

 

NYCOM has also announced plans to expand YEPC activities offline and establish Youth Empowerment for Peace Working Groups (YEPWs) at universities and within local communities.

The initiative also plans to support trained young people in designing and carrying out their own peace projects within their communities.

In other words, the goal is to create a pathway from learning to participation and, ultimately, to action.

 

🌏 From a Small Change in Malawi to Greater Possibilities

 

One of the most notable aspects of HWPL and IPYG’s peace education initiative in Malawi is its focus on young people.

More than 1,000 young people were given the opportunity to explore peace through diverse topics, including cultural heritage, religion, AI, and leadership.

The next step is for these young participants to turn what they have learned into action by carrying out peace projects in their own communities.

 

Perhaps peace is not something that someone else can simply create for us, but a process that takes shape as people learn, understand one another, and take part.

It will be interesting to see how what these young people have learned develops into initiatives within their communities. 🌿

 

As one person’s perspective changes, their actions change, and that change spreads to others, the path toward peace gradually grows wider.

  

📰 Read the Original Article

IPYG and the National Youth Council of Malawi Successfully Conclude Youth Peace Leadership Education