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**PROJECT OBJECTIVES:**
1. Empower the capacity of young people, individuals, and communities to transform conflicts and build peace.
2. Train community members in fields such as education, peace leadership, conflict prevention, and resolution.
3. Provide services that contribute to integrating vulnerable groups into society.
4. Raise awareness of determining factors in conflict creation, aiming to transform the deep-rooted causes of conflicts.
5. Facilitate processes that enhance communication among community members, strengthening the prevention of conflict generation.
6. Provide education to young people, enabling them to become peace agents in their communities.
7. Develop community-involved activities focusing on peace consolidation and conflict resolution.
8. Offer psychological and social services contributing to the integration of vulnerable groups, including at-risk youth, school dropouts, and conflict or violence victims.
9. Improve the educational quality of La Tebaida municipality by centering education on human beings, their interests, and needs, steering away from any form of education instrumentalization.
10. Support the school in consolidating its capacity to generate peace within the school and its surroundings.
**PROJECT DESCRIPTION:**
The school is conceived as a peace center for the community, acting as a spiral radar that envelops families, neighbors, youth, and the entire educational community. Communities will be empowered through the school, strengthening peace and instilling inherent value, extending its expression more widely.
The project is based on the assertion that peace is achieved through the integral and holistic development of the individual, encompassing inner peace and the individual's relationships with others. Peace is conceived as part of human well-being.
"Eduser for Peace" is a project aimed at raising awareness among young people about strengthening their moral and non-moral virtues, pursuing their own well-being/peace, enhancing conflict resolution skills, improving the culture of peace within the educational community, and fostering a culture of affection, care, solidarity, and compassion. The project aims to create spaces for the well-being and peace-seeking of parents and community participants.
Peace is primarily achieved through conscious growth, enabling community members, individuals, and students to understand the deep origins of human and/or community conflicts and, therefore, resolve them.
The project will be implemented through the following basic processes:
a. Individual sessions between a tutor-teacher and a student: Focusing on self-awareness, values, virtues, and holistic development.
b. Group sessions (of 10 youth) with a facilitator to stimulate interest in cognitive development.
c. Group sessions (of 10 youth) in a trusted environment, addressing emotions, healing wounds, and achieving greater peace and well-being.
d. Emotional sessions for teachers: Providing a space for personal growth and emotional needs of teachers.
e. Peace circles with communities: Facilitated group meetings to transform conflict experiences into opportunities.
f. Sessions with parents: Group sessions focused on the well-being of parents for self-discovery and healing.
**PROJECT SCOPE:**
In this preliminary phase, the project aims to respond to the needs of young people in the community, fostering hope and a desire for positive change. The project will work with five state schools in Quindío: four in La Tebaida and one in Pijao, implementing human-centered education for peace.
The methodology, implemented since 2018 in La Tebaida's Pedacito de Cielo school by the Guerrand Hermes Foundation for Peace, has received recognition and awards. The project is also being implemented in Pijao and is undergoing training for global implementation, including in Kalimantan, Indonesia, and England.
**PROJECT PARTNERS:**
The Guerrand Hermes Foundation for Peace, an international organization in Colombia since 2017, is a key partner. It has agreements with universities, including a partnership with the University of Wales for a Center for Peace and Human Well-being studies.
The Pedacito de Cielo Educational Institution, through a supportive letter, expresses its willingness to provide physical spaces for the "Eduser for Peace" proposal.
**NEEDS IDENTIFIED AND PROJECT RESPONSE:**
The project addresses identified community needs through comprehensive processes. The community, including youth, teachers, families, and the broader community, plays a vital role in the project's implementation and continuity.
**BENEFICIARIES:**
The Tebaida and Pijao municipalities are the project beneficiaries. Direct beneficiaries include 739 individuals (young people, teachers, and parents), with an estimated 10,200 indirect beneficiaries.
**SUSTAINABILITY:**
The "Eduser for Peace" program contributes to sustainability by fostering a culture of peace within communities. The involvement of the community, theoretical foundations, successful pilot implementations, and support from various entities ensure project sustainability.
**COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:**
The community, including the educational community and adjacent community members, plays a central role in project implementation and continuity. They act as key contributors to creating a culture of peace, ensuring the project's lasting impact.
**FINANCING:**
The project is funded by GHFP and seeks additional funding from the Rotary Foundation. The total project cost is COP$193,790,000 or USD$47,312.
**CONCLUSION:**
The project aims to address the urgent need for quality in various aspects of human life, addressing communication and conflict resolution difficulties within families, schools, and neighborhoods. The community's active involvement and commitment are crucial for the success and sustainability of the project.
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