From ‘Teen Takeover’ to ‘Peace Takeover’: 

A New Change Chosen by Atlanta

As we all know, the United States is a country where gun ownership is permitted. As a result, it is true that many problems involving teenagers and gun possession occur. We have also heard news of students becoming victims of school shootings. Among these stories, today I would like to talk about peace education in Atlanta.

Atlanta is a city in the state of Georgia, USA. Here, a serious youth problem called “Teen Takeover” has emerged. Teen Takeover refers to unauthorized takeovers caused by teenagers. These incidents often take place in shopping malls, streets, parks, parking lots, and other public spaces. The problems that arise from this include fights, property damage, theft, suffering and safety concerns, and gun-related incidents.

This cannot be viewed simply as teenage delinquency. Therefore, the community, beyond just families and schools, had been seeking ways to address the problem. Eventually, the conclusion reached by people in Atlanta was none other than “peace education.”

▎ P.L.A.Y. Begins with Dialogue 

What is P.L.A.Y.? It stands for Peace Leadership Academy for Youth. Teenagers cannot simply be controlled unilaterally through rules or restrictions. However, through education, their way of thinking can change, and as a result, their behavior can also change. It is important to understand why teenagers behave in such ways and what they want. In addition, when they develop a sense of belonging and connect with peers who understand them, they can feel that their existence is recognized both socially and emotionally. As a result, their thoughts and relationships can change. This is the result of peace education.

What can students learn through P.L.A.Y.? They learn how to communicate when conflicts arise, how to manage their emotions, and how to understand other people's perspectives, applying these skills to their everyday lives. At Shiloh High School, this education was provided in the form of an after-school club. Students also planned and operated the program themselves. Let us take a look at an interview with the leader of the P.L.A.Y. club. “World peace is the greatest legacy we can leave to future generations, and it begins with the P.L.A.Y. club at Shiloh High School.”

P.L.A.Y. is a youth peace education program designed specifically for the Atlanta area of Georgia. It is based on HWPL peace education and helps young people learn the values and spirit of peace and grow into peaceful citizens. It also presents practical ways to address school violence in the state of Georgia.

This peace education spread throughout Atlanta within three years. In addition, at the “Atlanta Youth Peace Summit,” peace education was simultaneously conducted for three weeks at a total of seven regional hubs(hotspots) through the P.L.A.Y. program. These hotspots refer to local partner organizations where peace education was intensively operated during this period.

▎ Understanding, Not Punishment

P.L.A.Y. is an ongoing program that actually changes behavioral patterns. Mr. Telly X also implemented P.L.A.Y. at one of the hotspots. Through this program, he came to believe that an approach based on understanding rather than punishment can bring about meaningful changes in young people. If young people continue to learn peaceful ways of responding, perhaps the culture of Teen Takeover can also change.

Mr. Telly X said “I believe peace education can completely change the culture of gatherings like Teen Takeover over time. Most young people are looking for connection, belonging, and a sense of purpose in life. When we teach conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, responsibility, and leadership, young people begin to make different choices in heated situations. Instead of reacting emotionally or following negative influences, they learn how to de-escalate conflicts and become positive influences among their peers. Our goal is to create a generation of young leaders who can transform potential chaos into opportunities for unity, respect, and community.

Peace education creates opportunities for both sides to understand one another. Many young people have developed distrust through their past experiences, while many police officers, on the other hand, often do not fully understand the challenges these young people face every day. Peace education creates a safe space for dialogue, relationship-building, and mutual respect. When young people and police officers begin to see one another as human beings rather than as people they need to be wary of, barriers begin to break down. Healing begins with communication, understanding, and responsibility, and peace education provides a foundation for all three.”

I cannot help but wonder whether the violent culture these young people experienced could have changed if, during this transitional period of their lives, they had had even one good adult by their side, or if an individual, organization, or group exerting a positive influence had supported them. Everyone makes individual choices. However, those choices create relationships, and these relationships have an overall impact on a person's character development.

In the United States, conflicts between racial groups are also intensifying, and in particular, distrust between young people and police has become an obstacle to solving problems, making it difficult to cross that boundary. However, peace education is becoming a bridge that breaks down this long-standing distrust. The young people who participated in this peace education said they were proud of their efforts and dedication. They will apply the changes they have experienced to the communities they belong to and create lasting change.

▎ Violence Is Not Something People Are Born With

Ms. Katie Garduno conducted P.L.A.Y. at another hotspot. She said that through this program, she came to realize that violence is not something people are born with. In particular, she said that her perspectives on “forgiveness” and “conflict” had changed. Let us take a look at her interview.

“The moment that stood out to me the most was when we talked about ‘forgiveness.’ I realized that forgiveness does not mean saying that the other person's actions were okay or justifying what they did. Rather, it means finding peace for yourself and choosing not to carry that hurt for the rest of your life. This made forgiveness feel like something I was doing for myself, rather than for someone else. Before the P.L.A.Y. program, I mainly thought that conflicts were resolved when both sides communicated and worked together to find a solution. I still believe communication is important, but now I think about the larger systems that create conflict. Rather than addressing only individual conflicts, I believe we need to dismantle the systems themselves and address the root causes.

People are not born violent. They simply grow up with limited resources and support and have very few opportunities to encounter different ways of responding to conflict. So they choose what they see around them. In many ways, they are navigating a system that has placed obstacles in their path from the very beginning. This program did not change my view of young people. Since I have already worked with young people, I already believed that they deserve empathy and understanding. But that belief has become even stronger. These are not inherently violent children. They simply need help and a different form of support that they are not receiving right now.

I think if all young people in Atlanta, as well as the younger generations, received peace education, Atlanta would become a more peaceful and connected city. Peace education gives young people the tools to communicate and understand one another. Above all, the very fact that young people feel that there is someone willing to invest time and resources in them is a powerful force. It makes them realize, ‘Oh, I am important. I would like to tell young people in other cities that peace education is not only about creating peace within a community, but also about finding peace within yourself. Personal peace is often the foundation of peace within a community.”

▎ Not Only for Young People, but Also for Families

Ms. Tekecia Shields conducted P.L.A.Y. at another hotspot. She is the representative of Mothers Against Gang Violence (MAGV). She mentioned the breakdown in communication between young people and their guardians as a problem. Here is her interview:

“I felt that the community, including parents and guardians, was not listening enough to the voices of our youth and young adults. That is why Teen Takeover happened. So our program also provided responsibility education for parents, and through this education, I came to support clearer communication. If I could say something to young people around the world, I would tell them that ‘self-determination’ is important. I would tell them to think for themselves about what is influencing them and what affects their decision to remain in a positive state.”

Education at school is important for children to grow into adults, but education at home is also important. If we can become people who practice peace starting from our own homes, could we not create safer and different communities? Peace cannot be achieved through the efforts of just one person. If we care for one another, think one more time, and listen to what the other person has to say one more time, perhaps the problems we face can be resolved.

▎ A Handshake Is Easier Than Being Mean 

Let us take a look at interviews with students who participated in P.L.A.Y.

Damon Pearson, a student at Georgia College Park Vocational School, said “I think the lessons I learned are valuable information that I can share with my community. Because we need unity. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to actually play soccer without being excluded because of how I looked. This place always taught me how to think of others first. As we moved away from the streets and created a movement together, I realized that violence has no meaning. It takes more effort to be mean to someone than simply offering them a handshake.”

Naomi Ward, a student, said “Before this program, I thought peace was simply a state in which nobody was fighting. Now I believe peace also includes treating others with kindness, listening to what other people have to say, and solving problems in a respectful way. This program helped me realize that even though I am young, my words and actions can create change. I learned that I can be a leader, speak up for what is right, and encourage others to make positive choices.”

Zakaila Barnes, a student at Georgia Fairburn Global Impact High School, said “Before participating in the peace education program, Teen Takeover seemed fun and exciting, but I felt that when unaccompanied teenagers gathered together, various problems could arise. The moment that impressed me the most was the lesson about the different ways to achieve peace and how to share them with the people around me, such as friends and family. This program helped me realize that what happens around me affects me. It can have either a negative or positive impact, but in the end, I learned that whether it becomes negative or peaceful is something I choose.”

▎ What Atlanta Has Shown Us

Three years after this peace education was implemented, Atlanta experienced many changes. Through this, students, parents, police officers, and young people learned how to understand one another by learning how to communicate, how to manage emotions, how to respect others, how to resolve conflicts, and how to recognize that they are members of the community. It grew into a local movement. The peace education conducted at seven hotspots was not a one-time campaign. It was an educational program that could bring about real change in the community. I hope that we can build peace together and practice it in our everyday lives.

Reference : https://vo.la/UbAkWQX 

A School Where Conflict Has Disappeared, and Children Choose Peace

A 16-year-old student who grew up at this school said, “There are far fewer fights now. We either resolve conflicts among ourselves or talk to the Peace Minister.” The Peace Minister is not a government official, but a student-led role within the school. Student representatives serving as Peace Ministers listen to their peers when conflicts arise and help them resolve their differences through dialogue.

▎ Students who used to refuse to attend classes

Lesotho is located in southern Africa, where 54.7% of the population lives in poverty and the youth unemployment rate stands at 34%. Even after graduating from school, it can be difficult to find stable employment, and 40% of young people are neither in education nor receiving vocational training. These social challenges do not stop at the school gates. Economic hardship, unstable family situations, and the absence of parents can affect students’ daily lives, sometimes manifesting as conflicts among friends or violent behavior.

In 2019, Puleng Nkaletse became the principal of Ribaneng High School in Lesotho. At the time, students were repeatedly refusing to attend classes and damaging school property, while enrollment had fallen to fewer than 100 students. Trust between teachers and students had broken down, and there were even internal conflicts within the school. Under these circumstances, restoring stability to the school was far from easy. 

Principal Puleng sought help from various organizations, and in the process, she was introduced to HWPL through Development for Peace Education (DPE). DPE is a civil society organization in Lesotho that, together with HWPL, is working to expand peace education to schools across the country. Currently, teacher training programs and workshops are being conducted in Lesotho.

▎ Students who became Peace Ministers

HWPL’s peace education is not simply taught as a single subject. Instead, it first helps students develop peaceful attitudes and values within the school and then encourages them to put those principles into practice in their daily lives and communities. Through this approach, students learn about diversity, cooperation, coexistence, harmony, altruism, sacrifice, love, respect for nature, and respect for elders. This is because peace is more important to learn through action than simply through knowledge. Ultimately, this became the approach that could truly transform these children.

After Principal Puleng introduced peace education at the school, one of the biggest changes was in the school’s organizational structure. Students began taking an active role in running the school themselves. Student representatives took on various roles, including Peace Minister, Education Minister, Food Security Minister, and Finance Minister. When problems arose at school, they discussed them together and worked toward solutions. Instead of expressing their dissatisfaction through actions such as refusing to attend classes, a system was created in which students could seek solutions through their own representatives.

In 2020, the school faced a situation in which a lack of funding for sports activities made it difficult for students to participate in sports competitions. In the past, such dissatisfaction might have led students to refuse to attend classes. However, in this situation, the student representatives discussed ways to raise funds and put their ideas into action. Rather than waiting for someone else to solve the problem for them, the students found a solution themselves. This example shows that peace education is not simply about teaching students not to fight. Rather, it encourages them to find solutions to problems through dialogue and participation instead of violence.

For teachers who had never been exposed to peace education before, this unfamiliar approach sometimes felt like an additional burden on top of their everyday responsibilities. However, the changes continued beyond the school itself. One student witnessed a friend mediating a dispute over money between younger siblings. Instead of asking their parents to solve the problem, the friend calmly sat the younger children down and listened to each of their sides. This was precisely the kind of change that peace education was intended to bring about. 

▎ Peace in Every Corner of Lesotho, Each in Its Own Way

The effects of peace education were not limited to the school. The same changes were taking place in communities across Lesotho. 

In 2021, Principal Noangelina Debeshe was introduced to peace education through DPE. What began with the principal and one teacher eventually expanded to include the entire teaching staff, and ultimately the whole school began practicing peace education together. Every Monday became Peace Education Day, and students chose the values they would practice throughout the week. As a result, conflicts within the school gradually began to decrease. 

The lessons covered themes such as diversity, cooperation, coexistence, harmony, altruism, and sacrifice which children encounter throughout their lives. Every Monday was designated as Peace Education Day, and the students chose the values they would practice during the week themselves. When conflicts arose, the children learned to talk things through with one another. They began saying “thank you” first and reaching out to others first.

As conflicts within the school decreased, students were able to focus more on their studies. As a result, in 2024, Morifi Community High School ranked 8th nationwide, placing it among Lesotho’s Top 10 schools. This suggests that creating an environment where students can respect and cooperate with one another can also have a positive impact on the learning atmosphere.

▎ The child who apologized first

A primary school principal has been leading the school for nine years. Although it is true that the school lacks educational resources, the principal has made great efforts to teach students the importance of respecting and appreciating one another. As a result, when conflicts arise, the children have learned to resolve them through conversation rather than fighting. They are growing up learning to express gratitude first and to treat one another with respect. 

The children put what they learned about gratitude into action. They even made thank-you cards for their parents to express how much they appreciated them. It makes us wonder whether peace does not begin at grand international conferences, but rather with these small acts of kindness in our everyday lives.

▎ A Commitment Shared by 100 Teachers

Last March, a completion ceremony was held in Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, for approximately 100 teachers who had completed peace teacher training.

The ceremony was jointly hosted by HWPL and DPE, with Lesotho’s official responsible for curriculum assessment attending in person, adding further official significance to the event. During the ceremony, the teachers recited a pledge together called “Peace My Lesotho.” The pledge conveys the message that peace in Lesotho begins with me.

▎ What Matters Is Culture

The case of Lesotho shows that peace education did not remain simply a program. Rather than teaching students about peace through lectures and tests, it encouraged them to put peace into practice in their everyday school lives—respecting their friends, talking through conflicts, listening to others, expressing gratitude, and finding solutions when problems arose. Over time, the changes brought about by peace education in schools became more than just lessons. They became part of the school culture.

Perhaps peace in a society is ultimately built through the accumulation of these small acts. Peace is not some distant or grand goal. It can begin with the words we choose to say and the actions we choose to take each day. If children begin to practice the peace they have learned at school in their lives beyond the school gates, perhaps we can move one step closer to creating a society where peace is not simply something taught in peace education, but a way of everyday life.

Reference : https://vo.la/x3KYczp 

HWPL and IPYG Join Hands with Government and Religious Leaders

to Conduct Drug Prevention and Environmental Cleanup Campaigns

The Zambia branch of the international peace NGO Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) and the Youth Empowerment Peace Workshop (YEPW), conducted a campaign under the theme "Clean Up, Crime Down" in the Mandevu area of Lusaka, Zambia, to mark the United Nations (UN)-designated International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The campaign aimed to promote drug prevention and encourage the creation of a cleaner, healthier environment.

The campaign was organized to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, with the goal of raising awareness among young people about the dangers of drug abuse while encouraging them to help improve their local environment. The initiative was made even more meaningful through the participation of Zambian government agencies, health and environmental organizations, religious leaders, and community representatives. It was particularly noteworthy for bringing together stakeholders from diverse sectors to work toward a shared goal.

During the event, participants attended a drug prevention education session that highlighted how drug abuse can have serious consequences not only for an individual's health but also for their education, relationships, and future. Betty Phiri, Coordinator of the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), said, "Drug prevention is a responsible choice that protects young people's health, education, relationships, and future. Choosing to say no to drugs and helping friends make the right decisions are small actions that can become meaningful acts of peace."

Following the educational session, participants took part in an environmental cleanup campaign along the route from Ngombe Clinic to New Ngombe Market. The Lusaka City Council and local organizations provided garbage collection trucks and cleaning equipment, while participants worked alongside community residents to collect litter and help create cleaner streets.

Nkisu Katemangwe, a Lusaka City Youth Councillor who participated in the volunteer activity, said, "Working alongside volunteers who are dedicated to serving the community has been a great source of inspiration for me. I will continue to take greater responsibility in protecting our local environment and actively contribute to future community cleanup efforts."

In particular, the campaign served as an excellent example of how voluntary youth participation and collaboration among multiple organizations can create a positive impact, and it was featured by major local media outlets. The HWPL Zambia Branch plans to continue its monthly "Clean Up, Crime Down" campaign and gradually expand the initiative throughout Lusaka. Although the word "peace" may sometimes seem abstract, healthy lifestyles, a clean environment, and small acts of consideration for one another are the first steps toward building a more peaceful society.

Reference : https://vo.la/KWq1Trk 

HWPL·IPYG Netherlands Participate in 

‘Talent for Good Forum 2026,’ 

Expanding Dialogue for Peace

IPYG Holds the ‘2026 Malawi Youth Empowerment Peace Education’

International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) Holds 

‘2026 Malawi Youth Capacity-Building Peace Education’

“Turning the Record of Nuclear Tragedy 

into a Legacy of Peace for the Future”… 

HWPL to Hold Human Rights Webinar on the 9th

IWPG Marks 7th Year of Spreading Peace Through 

‘International Women’s Peace Day’

HWPL, Practicing Peace in Local Communities!

Dobong-gu Filled with “April 26 International Women’s Peace Day,

” Women Gather as One… IWPG Peace Festival Successfully Concluded