AFRICAN GREAT LAKES —What happens when children are given books to read, space to create, and opportunities to work together? At Musanze Children’s Peace Library in Rwanda, 25 young peacebuilders (16 girls and 9 boys) answered this question during a day of reading, gardening, creativity, cultural expression, and peacebuilding. The Transformational Leadership Center (TLC) organized a gathering with the theme of “Reading Is Power, Peace Is Our Culture” with the aim to help children understand that peace is not simply something we talk about. Instead, peace is something we practice every day through our actions, relationships, and responsibility toward others and the environment.

PEACEBUILDING EN LAS AMÈRICAS —”The workshop’s structure kept me fully engaged. The activities made me realize that we shouldn’t just focus on saving ourselves; in difficult situations, we can save one another. I enjoyed it because it involved practical, dynamic exercises that taught me new things and fostered empathy among my coworkers. It allowed me to step away from other pressures, like work. It’s a challenging space.” “La dinámica del taller me ayudó a mantenerme despierta; los juegos me hicieron pensar que no solo debemos salvarnos a nosotros mismos, sino que en las situaciones difíciles también nos podemos salvar todos. Me gusta porque es un taller donde aprendí cosas nuevas con ejercicios prácticos y dinámicos, creo empatía entre mis compañeras de trabajo. Me desconecte de varias cosas como el trabajo. Es un espacio retador.”

AFRICAN GREAT LAKES — “I have been observing you and the participants from the very beginning of this training. I have seen people who came here looking stressed, burdened, and troubled. But as the days go by, I see them becoming happier.” “People are experiencing trauma in so many areas of life, yet many of us do not know how to recognize it, understand it, or help those who are suffering.”