Beschreibung der Einrichtung

PeaceWorks is a non-profit youth- and peace organisation run by youth, for youth. Our vision is a sustainable world in peace, where young people are active citizens in a society that is characterised by peace, global justice and solidarity, above and beyond national, cultural, social and economic borders. Our work is guided by our organizational themes, namely; global justice, anti-racism and feminism.

PeaceWorks’ homebase is located in Sweden, with national offices in Stockholm and Malmö. Internationally, the organisation has one office in Bogotá, Colombia (PeaceWorks Colombia). Each office runs different activities locally and collaborates with other diverse NGOs, youth networks and social actors who are also working towards a common goal.

The objective of the organisation is to encourage youth to take an active part in creating positive social change in society, to work towards a just and sustainable world in peace. The aim of the organisation is thus to be a platform for young people’s involvement in, and commitment to, peace and sustainable development. By organising youth exchanges and projects, spaces for encounters are created, providing the conditions for young people to participate in, affect and create understanding for local and global context on issues regarding global justice, anti-racism, feminism and youth mobilisation, on their own terms. PeaceWorks is run on the basis of openness for all and participation and influence of all participants.


Based on our aim and objectives, our main activities in the organisation consist of:

1. Intercultural activities: Youth are offered the opportunity to volunteer/participate or do an internship abroad through international exchanges (including European Solidarity Corps). PeaceWorks facilitates the arrangement of internships, long term volunteering, work camps, training and seminars as well as the coordinating of and sending of volunteers.
2. Projects for change: PeaceWorks normally have a couple of active projects each year within our main focus areas in which youth are either a part of forming the project, or the direct target group benefiting from it. Most of the time, it combines inclusion and youth ownership of certain activities with activities directly aiming at capacity building within the target group by PeaceWorks. For example, we currently have a project that aims to spread information about global issues, with the situation in Colombia as a focus point, with a mix of the organisation holding workshops for youth and a youth group created to share knowledge and information through study groups and debate articles.
3. Supporting youth activism and engagement: PeaceWorks provides youth with the tools and platforms needed to run peace projects and associations of their own, where youth can participate in their own way and on their own terms. PeaceWorks offers support in project management as well as financial support in order for young people to organize themselves to create positive social change in society. This is done through using our own non-formal education methodology of how to form associations and run peace projects, called DRIV.
4. Peace education and workshops: By facilitating education and workshops to youth and other participants, PeaceWorks provides opportunities for training and capacity building in our main thematic areas of; global justice, anti-racism, feminism and youth activism. As an example, PeaceWorks recently ran a successful cooperation with over seventy schools in Sweden providing teachers and school staff with theoretical and practical tools and training on how to handle racism in the classrooms. Our educational methods are based on interactive workshops, inclusive participation and non-formal education.
5. International cooperation: PeaceWorks actively engages in international solidarity by operating locally in Bogota, Colombia. PeaceWorks Colombia supports youth organizations and offers several training in thematic areas such as how to run social projects, masculinity norms as well as global justice for youth in Colombia, through collaborations with youth organisations involved in promoting youth involvement in the political and social processes in Colombia by providing them tools needed to be active participants.

PeaceWorks target group is young people between the ages of 13-30. The target group is also specified within each project depending on its goals and activities. We strive for diversity and work with all types of young people, including youth with fewer opportunities, as a natural part of our operations.