Hand in Hand for a more PEACEFUL SOCIETY

Hand in Hand for a More Peaceful Society is an Erasmus+ youth project promoting empathy, intercultural dialogue, and human rights awareness among young people. Through two international mobilities, it empowers participants to challenge prejudice, understand migration, and act as peace ambassadors within their communities.

This Erasmus+ Youth Project was supported by Jugend Für Europe and the European Union.

Overview

Prejudice, bullying, and racism are among the most serious social issues affecting today’s youth. These problems harm both individual well-being and social harmony, undermining respect for diversity and often leading to exclusion, intolerance, and violence.

The project Hand in Hand for a More Peaceful Society was designed to help young people confront prejudice, embrace diversity, and strengthen intercultural dialogue. By bringing together participants from different countries and backgrounds, the project created a space for empathy, understanding, and cooperation—essential foundations for a peaceful European society.

Rationale

In recent years, Europe has experienced a worrying rise in racism, xenophobia, and social division. Prejudice continues to separate young people from those with different ethnic, cultural, or religious identities, weakening social cohesion.

At the same time, the world has faced the largest migration movement since World War II. According to UNHCR (2022), more than 1.1 million asylum applications were submitted in the first half of the year—an 89% increase compared to 2021. This situation has intensified social tensions and highlighted the urgent need for education, dialogue, and empathy.

Many young people still lack sufficient understanding of European citizenship and human rights, limiting their ability to contribute to inclusion and democracy. Empowering youth to fight prejudice, embrace differences, and support the integration of refugees and migrants is therefore essential for sustainable social peace.

General Aim

To equip young people with the knowledge, empathy, and civic awareness needed to fight prejudice, support inclusion, and contribute to a more peaceful and tolerant society.

Specific Objectives

First Mobility

• To develop empathy skills among young people.

• To demonstrate that differences are a source of richness.

• To encourage respect for cultural, religious, and social diversity.

• To help participants break down prejudices related to religion, language, race, appearance, and social status.

Second Mobility

• To increase understanding of migration, refugees, and asylum seekers.

• To reduce prejudice and xenophobia among youth and youth leaders.

• To raise awareness of EU citizenship, human rights, and European values such as freedom, tolerance, and respect.

Participant Profile

• Total participants: 42 (4 young people + 1 leader from each country)

• Age range: 16–30 for participants; leaders aged 25+

• Each group included socially and culturally disadvantaged young people, with geographically disadvantaged youth included in the second mobility.

• At least two participants from the first mobility joined the second to ensure continuity and knowledge transfer.

Mobility 1: Fighting Prejudice through Empathy

This mobility focused on understanding the roots of prejudice and learning to value diversity.

Key Workshops and Activities

• What Is the Root Cause? – Exploring exclusion as both a cause and consequence of prejudice

• Orienteering for Culture – Interactive exploration of cultural environments

• To Look and to See – Comparing first impressions with final judgments

• How to Break Down the Walls – Group discussions on challenging prejudice

• One Type Theatre & Colorful Theatre – Performing diversity through drama

• Confession Library – Were You Prejudiced? – Sharing personal experiences

• Different Instrument, Same Note – Discovering linguistic and cultural similarities

• Oppressed Theatre – Forum theatre on discrimination and power

• A Marginal’s Journal – Social experiment on marginalization

• Listen to Differences – Slogan creation and dissemination

• Flashmob for Peace – Public action promoting unity and inclusion

Mobility 2: Understanding Migration and Human Rights

This phase deepened participants’ understanding of migration, empathy, and European values.

Key Workshops and Activities

• What Is Migration? – Key concepts: migration, refugee, asylum seeker

• Expert presentations on refugee situations and migration policies

• Country-based sharing on migration realities

• Community visits and direct interaction with local residents

• Stories from My Bag – Creative writing and personal reflection

• Being Migrant – Roleplay simulation of refugee experiences

• Our Lost – Emotional reflection on loss and displacement

• Short film production on migration themes

• Human rights workshops on EU core values

• Dance & free hugs public solidarity event

• Mock immigration court simulation

• Institutional visit to the Immigration Office in Hamburg

Each mobility also included Erasmus+ and Youthpass sessions, intercultural nights, group dynamics, dissemination planning, and evaluation activities.

Impact

Through two intensive mobilities, participants developed:

• Stronger empathy and tolerance

• Deeper understanding of human rights, EU citizenship, and democracy

• Enhanced communication, teamwork, and creative thinking skills

• Motivation to act as peace ambassadors in their local communities

The project’s impact continues through follow-up workshops, awareness campaigns, and youth-led initiatives promoting dialogue, diversity, and peace across Europe.