To mark the International Day of Peace, we feature the stories of three - Crispin Kulimushi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ahmed Alsadeq from Palestine and Anah¨ª Sol Medina from Argentina - who are working in their communities to support peace efforts from the ground up.
Ahmed Alsadeq is a Scout Leader and Youth Representative of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (Palestine).
Here¡¯s his peace.
In the occupied West Bank, daily life is hemmed in by military checkpoints, movement restrictions, expanding illegal settlements, and constant surveillance.
- Ahmed Alsadeq
I was eight years old when I felt something cold pressed against my forehead at 2 a.m. Standing over my bed was an armed soldier, the muzzle of his rifle pointed at me. Beside him were military dogs. The soldiers forced my family into one room while they searched our home, smashing belongings as they searched every corner. They had come to arrest one of our neighbours.
Afterwards, families were gathered in a house and interrogated. That night never really ended for me. It shaped the way I see justice, dignity, and peace. Growing up in this reality has shaped what peace means to me.
I learnt that fear should never be the end of someone's story. Instead, it can drive us to act, to support others, and to create the change we want to see in our communities.
- Ahmed Alsadeq
Peace is not simply the absence of war
Through Scouting, I have found practical ways to do that. When families struggled to put food on the table, we expanded community kitchens and food distribution programmes. When military closures have left thousands of people waiting for hours at checkpoints, Scouts have provided food, water, and dates.
Our Eid clothing campaigns reach thousands of children each year. And when schools in Gaza were destroyed, I worked with partners to establish safe learning spaces where children could continue their education.
All this taught me that peace is not simply the absence of violence. It is also about dignity, opportunity, and creating a sense of purpose and possibility, even in the most difficult circumstances.
- Ahmed Alsadeq
Peace reinforced by justice and accountability
That led me to organise Palestine's first national Scout simulation on youth, peace, and security, which brought together 35 young Scout leaders in Nablus in June 2026.
Inspired by ±¬ÁÏÍø resolutions on and the role of young people in peacebuilding, the initiative was an interactive policy simulation that gave participants the chance to experience what it means to take part in peace and security decision-making.
As participants negotiated, built alliances, and developed solutions, they also produced and adopted the Scout Declaration on Youth, Peace and Security. Its messages echo something that young people living through conflict have felt for decades.
Young people in conflict are not numbers scrolling across your screen. We are children who grow up too quickly, parents trying to protect our families, students with dreams. We are volunteers, doctors, teachers and Scouts. Above all, we are human beings who deserve a version of peace that is reinforced by justice and accountability.¡±
- Ahmed Alsadeq
But the Declaration was not intended to end with the simulation. Later, it was shared with the Folke Bernadotte Academy and helped open the door for the Palestinian Scout Association to become part of the national Youth, Peace and Security Youth Coalition being established by the ±¬ÁÏÍø Population Fund in Palestine.
For me, this experience reinforced something I strongly believe: decision-makers and organisations miss a crucial opportunity when they simply consult young people rather than treating them as genuine partners in peacebuilding. Meaningful participation gives young people real agency and a genuine role in shaping decisions.
That relationship also needs to be a two-way street. Decision-makers can benefit from the networks, lived experience, and community access that youth movements, such as Scouting, already have. But young people need resources, funding, capacity, and trust if they are to turn policies into real action at grassroots, local, and national levels.
If we want to build lasting peace, young people must be part of that process. And for me, that starts here, on this land, the land of Palestine, where peace should not be something we can only imagine, but a reality we can live.
- Ahmed Alsadeq