Drumroll please – as we are about to announce the winner of Roots Local Capacities for Peace Award 2023 Winner!

One of the major components of the Roots and developed based on the best practices of the previous project phases, the Award aims to strengthen the local capacities for peace at grassroots level and enhance cross-border and regional cooperation across Europe – with Roots Peace Work Institute (PWI) Alumni providing key institutional and intellectual support, whereby deemed applicable and relevant.

So, after YMCA Georgia in 2020, YMCA Kosovo in 2021 and YMCA Artsakh last year, we have another worthy laureate in 2023 – identified during Roots PWI Alumni Online Reunion on May the 4th with 27 eligible voters and 2 projects to choose from: 1. “Ecumenical Youth Camp for Cultivating a Culture of Peace” by YMCA Albania & 2. Youth Peace Forum “Create the Future” by YMCA Ukraine.

And It was a real competition too – with 17 votes going to one project, while 10 voters favored the other one… But there could only be one winner and it is… YMCA Ukraine!

We congratulate our dear friends and partners in Ukraine and wish them good luck in their endeavor to safeguard the belief in Peace – something that is so difficult nowadays… And yet, they are willing to strive for it… Because they truly believe in it!

Great gratitude and appreciation goes to YMCA Albania for their participation, as well as for efforts and motivation to promote dialogue and understanding within the community they serve – good luck and see you next time!

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”