How can a small cultural centre in southern Lithuania become a hub for peacebuilding in Europe? This was the question behind “The Missing Peace – dissemination of the Tool-Kit event” hosted at Varėna Cultural Center, where youth workers, educators and cultural professionals gathered to explore new ways of working with young people on peace and reconciliation.
On June 18th, 2025 the event brought together 28 participants from local schools, cultural institutions and youth organisations. For many, it was their first encounter with The Missing Peace project and its “Peace by Piece” toolkit – a collection of non-formal education methods developed by partners from Lithuania, Ireland, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary and North Macedonia.
After a warm welcome from Varėna Cultural Center, the morning started with an introduction to the project: why it was created, which countries are involved, and how the team worked with young people and youth workers across different post-conflict and divided contexts. Participants had the chance to hear about the research phase, the international training in peace education, and the local pilotings that tested the tools in real youth work settings.
The heart of the event was a guided tour through the Peace by Piece toolkit. Session by session, participants discovered activities that can help young people:
- explore what conflict looks like in their daily lives,
- reflect on stereotypes and “us vs. them” narratives,
- practise dialogue, empathy and non-violent communication, and
- imagine more peaceful, inclusive communities.
Rather than just listening, participants were invited to step into the role of learners: they tried out selected exercises, discussed how they might need to be adapted for Lithuanian realities, and exchanged examples from their own practice. The conversation quickly moved from “What is in the toolkit?” to “How can we make this work with the young people we know?”.
Throughout the session, the focus remained practical. Youth workers shared which tools could be used in schools, which work better in youth clubs or informal groups, and how to frame sensitive topics like historical memory or social division in ways that feel safe for participants. The group also talked about follow-up: how to continue cooperating, where to find the materials, and how to connect with the wider European network created by the project.
By the end of the four-hour event, participants left not only with printed and digital copies of the toolkit, but with concrete ideas for integrating its methods into their programmes – from thematic workshops and project days to longer-term initiatives on peace, democracy and citizenship. Several organisations expressed interest in joining the Actors of Peace & Reconciliation network, seeing it as an opportunity to stay connected with peers across Europe and give visibility to their own local work.
The Varėna multiplier event showed that even in a small town, there is a strong appetite for meaningful, value-based youth work. By equipping local practitioners with accessible, well-tested tools, The Missing Peace project is helping Lithuanian youth workers turn everyday educational spaces into places where peace, dialogue and reconciliation can be practised – piece by piece.
“The Missing Peace” project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Program (Pr. Nr.: KA220-YOU-055CD22D).
