PEACE – Pact for Education, Active Citizenship and Engagement

Project Goal:

The project seeks to empower small municipalities across the EU to become proactive agents of peace by promoting social inclusion, equality, cohesion and active citizenship. The project partners recognise the unique challenges and opportunities these municipalities face and aim to provide local authorities and key actors such as civil society organisations, education providers, libraries and museums with the tools, knowledge and other information needed to support active citizenship including common European values and democratic participation.

Background:

In a rapidly evolving global landscape, peace education, democratic values, and active citizenship are critical pillars for building inclusive, resilient, and harmonious societies. Small municipalities hold unique potential to act as catalysts for peace, inclusion, and democratic engagement. Their proximity to citizens enables them to foster stronger relationships, create participatory platforms, and directly respond to the needs of their communities.

The background documents are: UNESCO’s Recommendations on Education for Peace, Human Rights, and Sustainable Development.

The Council of Europe Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture will provide for a pool of relevant competences that support cohesion and active citizenship that the project aims for.

The study of Learning Cities from the UNESCO Global Civic Education and Inclusion cluster of cities will provide case studies and information on best practices related to civic education for peace in communities.

Target Groups:

Primary: municipalities, local authorities and key actors of the community life such as civil society organisations, education providers, libraries and museums.
Secondary: Citizens

Project Activities and Results:

The project will deliver:

a set of case studies on civic education for peaceful communities;
a PEACE Reference Framework for municipalities and recommendations (guidelines) for specific measures;
a PEACE Cities Manifesto and guidelines for the sustainability of results;
an educational platform with all the related resources.

The project’s ambition is to come up with practical and existing proposals for civic activities that support cohesion and inspire smaller municipalities to become CITIES OF PEACE.