On March 31st, 9 exchange students from India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand arrived in Brussels after their three-months long programme, to participate in the final PEACE camp before heading back to their home countries.
Partibha, Avrilla, Euan, Ethan, Kevin, Huda, Huer, Pun and Pim all took part in the PEACE Programme, which let them explore a global education topic both in their own home community and in their host community. During the final camp, they had the chance to get to know each other and share about their unique experiences, as well as present their Active Project. They found and chose their own volunteering project, which allowed them to interact within their host community and become more aware of their identity as global active citizens.
Amongst workshops and sharing sessions, they had also the time to visit Brussels, the Capital of Europe. We explored together the House of European History, walking through the minor and major events, which made Europe what it is today, and learning about the main changemakers in the European history. Seeing the history they only studied in passing in their home schools unfurled and explained in such detail amazed them. After eating the typical Belgian waffles, being disappointed at the Mannekepis, and stopping in the Grand-Place for an impromptu K-pop group dance, it was time to go back to the camp.
On their last day before their departures, the PEACE participants had the opportunity to present about their Global Citizenship research and their Active Projects to the volunteers, the general secretary of EFIL, and the others. Dressed in their traditional clothing from their home countries, they discussed about education systems, fair trade, refugees and the environment. Their Active Projects, often connected to their research topics, ranged from videos made within and for the community to raise awareness of an issue, to interacting further with their host community in teaching about their culture.
As they prepared to go back to their home countries, they shared about their future goals and dreams, with some wanting to go into the hospitality sector to support fair trade, and others rather thinking about engineering, medicine, and journalism. And as the PEACE participants of today “graduate” from the PEACE programme, they are now more aware of common global issues, are starting to be able to discuss them, and will hopefully bloom into PEACE changemakers of tomorrow.