The World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) organized the Peace Fellows Programme (PFP) from July 25 to 29, 2022. Started in 2020, this short-term, selective program provides a unique opportunity for undergraduates and junior scholars to investigate firsthand the long-lasting effects of conflicts in diverse region including Europe, Middle East and Southeast Asia. It also covers the local/global efforts towards social integration and the recent progress for unification in the Korean Peninsula, with the purpose of building the capacity of youth to effectively engage in peace-related issues.
This Summer, the PFP invited 16 Peace Fellows from 7 countries who demonstrated interest in the UN’s peace building work and SDG 16+, especially in peace building efforts in the North East Asian region. The Peace Fellows got to directly interact with key stakeholders of peace efforts in the Korean peninsula, such as UN and regional experts, Korean government representatives, civil society advocates in order to obtain an in-depth understanding of the necessary but long road to peace. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the PFP was held in hybrid format with online/offline, consisting of field trip to DMZ and peace-related institutions, lectures, group discussions, and peace conference.
The PFP provided exclusive lectures on peace recorded in cooperation with partnership organizations including Unikorea Foundation, UNODA, UNPKO, Hanns Seidel Stiftung Foundation, Korean National Commission for UNESCO, Institute for Peace and Unification Studies and Institute for Health and Unification Studies of Seoul National University, National Institute for Unification Education, Gaeseong Industrial District Foundation, University of North Korean Studies, Korea Air Force Academy, Trinity College Dublin, The Asan Institute for Policy Studies, Kangwon National University and Chosun Exchange.
Along with 72 former Peace Fellows from 25 countries who participated in the progamme from 2020 and 2022, the PFP also discussed historical peace agendas related to Northern Ireland, Israel-Palestein, the Kurds, and also recent conflicts in Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. The PFP will continue to provide a global network for the Peace Fellows to facilitate a constructive platform for youth to take action for peace.