Peace is the only solution

In October 2015, we embarked on a journey around the Balkans with 30 young people from 14 (post)conflict countries to talk about peace and freedom to express your love freely. 

We rented a bus and, during our Tour of Tolerance, visited cities affected by war and conflicts - divided, exhausted, bombed and destroyed - where people lost hope that living together will ever be possible again. And we told our stories. But we decided to talk about love because you don’t fight hate with hate. You need to open your heart and listen. 

No matter what each one of us has gone through or what was the burden we carried on behalf of our own countries we knew that it’s not about the daily politics - no matter if the conflict between our countries lasts for years, decades or centuries - we knew that the only solution is to get to know each other and see how similar we are.

Nobody wants war. We all want to live in peace, with our friends, families, to believe in hope. 

We can live together - all it takes is a bit of time, exchange and understanding. Take a look at the reflections of our participants after the Tour and you will see what the power of dialogue can achieve. 

To our friends in Armenia and Azerbaijan - it’s not about the territories, it is about the people. Peace is priceless and so are your lives. In the end, we want the same - love. 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

That citizen is YOU.