Initiative for Peace (IfP): A flagship UWCSEA programme
One of two groups of UWCSEA students and youth from Timor-Leste at the 2025 IfP Conference in Dili.
Initiative for Peace: A flagship Grade 11 programme
Initiative for Peace (IfP) is UWCSEA's flagship peace education programme, driven by the core mission of "youth connecting youth to build sustainable peace." It takes place over the course of the year and teaches Grade 11 students peacebuilding skills. The primary goal is to promote intercultural understanding and reconciliation, fostering young people as agents of positive change.
Designed and developed by UWCSEA
IfP embodies the UWC Mission of using education as a force for peace and a sustainable future. Students receive action-based peace education that moves beyond theory, with six months of intensive training from specialists in areas like conflict resolution, negotiation, and facilitation. Students then apply these skills to plan and deliver youth-led peace conferences in conflict-affected regions.
IfP is secured for the future through the Kaira Karmakar Memorial Endowment at UWCSEA.
An immersive learning experience for students
What makes IfP unique
Highlights from a year in IfP
Activities leading up to the IfP Conference
Students participate in activities that build peacebuilding skills including: Jah and Kay—a simulation of inter-country negotiations and support; Barnga—a simulation that encourages participants to critically consider normative assumptions and cross-cultural communication and Peace Island—an activity designed to build collaboration, communication and conflict resolution skills.
Guidance from external practitioners
Students participate in workshops by experts in the field. Qamaruzzaman Amir is an educational consultant on peace and community building, former UWC Pearson alum, UWCSEA teacher and IFP facilitator. Students explore peacebuilding, through the lenses of conflict, violence and peace and by applying different models of peace to real life contexts. They also learn about the difference between positive and negative peace and are introduced to the ‘do no harm’ approach to community cohesion and understanding.
Dr. Jennifer S Hartley is an educational consultant who uses theatre to investigate trust, rapport, and body language also held a workshop for students. Her highly interactive workshop challenges students to be aware of themselves and the non-verbal signals they unknowingly give off, how these signals impact others and how this can impact responses and actions in both non-verbal and verbal interactions.
Meeting Peacebuilders
In the 2024/2025 school year, IfP students met with representatives from Peace Boat, a Japan-based international NGO promoting peace, human rights and sustainability. They listened to testimonies from Hibakusha, survivors of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and toured the boat's exhibition while it was docked in Singapore. Students from IfP and the Japanese community toured the Peace Boat while it was docked in Singapore and explored the special exhibition commemorating the nuclear disarmament and educational work of Nihon Hidankyo,the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize winners.
The IfP Conference
East and Dover Campus students collaborate to plan and deliver the IfP Conference overseas. In June 2025, two conferences were held in Dili, Timor-Leste. More than 300 young people applied to participate, with UWCSEA student-facilitators selecting 40 delegates to attend each conference. Participants take part in dialogue sessions, simulations and workshops that promote mutual understanding and peacebuilding.
The IfP Conference
Students are responsible for planning all the activities during the conference. The 2024/2025 cohort planned a beach cleanup as part of the sustainability programming, giving the group opportunities to bond in different environments and contexts.
The IfP Conference
Students are responsible for planning all the activities during the conference. The 2024/2025 cohort planned a beach cleanup as part of the sustainability programming, giving the group opportunities to bond in different environments and contexts.
The IfP Conference
In 2025, as part of the service and sustainability day, the conference participants and facilitators visited a turtle sanctuary where they learnt about the charity's conservation work. A highlight of the visit was the chance to release turtle hatchlings into the sea.
The IfP Conference
In 2025, as part of the service and sustainability day, the conference participants and facilitators visited a turtle sanctuary where they learnt about the charity's conservation work. A highlight of the visit was the chance to release turtle hatchlings into the sea.
The impact of the IfP Programme
Since its inception in 2001, the programme has engaged young people from Kashmir, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Cambodia, and Thailand.
Several IfP alumni have gone on to start similar initiatives or hold peace conferences in their own countries including Myanmar, Cambodia, Denmark and most recently, South Sudan.
IfP delegates founded the Dili-based organisation, Timor-Leste Youth for Peace (TLYFP). It currently has more than 500 members who are predominantly IfP alumni. This youth-led organisation is now one of UWCSEA’s critical collaborators, and has become an important connection for the National Committee.
Students Reflect on their IfP Experience
Before the conference, I had a tendency to see people who weren’t part of my immediate world... as kind of distant or abstract... Without realising it, I had formed a kind of mental divide between 'us' and 'them.' But after actually spending time with them, hearing what they had to say, seeing their energy, passion, and opinions, that whole perspective quickly changed. They were not just numbers, labels or projects but they were individuals... Now, when I hear about events like wars or disasters in other countries, I no longer just register the numbers, statistics or headlines. I think about people who each has a story of their own... The experience was impactful because it allowed me to see the energy and passion the Timorese youth had for improving their country."Student reflection
I learned to appreciate other cultures through the connections we made with people. This was achieved by learning how to communicate appropriately... through not only verbal language but also body language, due to language barriers. Likewise, I learned how to lead a conference and adapt to changes... The importance of a conference like this lies in striking a balance between participation and understanding... Above all, the people were very kind and taught me, once again, to see the world with hope, as they showed me a community resilience that can overcome the barriers of structural problems that lie within society."Student reflection
More About IfP
In a world increasingly defined by division and polarized perspectives, it is more important than ever to intentionally provide education in peacebuilding and nonviolent conflict resolution. These are not just ideals; they are essential life skills that must be taught, practiced, and nurtured.