Young people across the world, particularly those impacted by displacement and conflict, are increasingly facing exclusion, instability, and ideological polarization. Refugee youth often experience marginalization, social isolation, and limited access to arts and educational resources. Traditional peace education methods may fail to reach these youths in meaningful and creative ways. Peace Tracks creates safe, inclusive spaces where refugee and global youth collaborate on music and storytelling projects that express identity, foster resilience, and cultivate intercultural understanding. Peace Tracks addresses the urgent need for platforms that elevate youth voices, build creative and leadership skills, and promote global citizenship.
Founded in 2021, Peace Tracks has worked with youth in Lebanon, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan — and currently engaging youth in the U.S., Palestine, Jordan, and Morocco through a 2-year U.S. State Department grant administered by the Stevens Initiative, concluding in June 2025.
Starting in July 2025, we are launching our next phase - Peace Tracks: Global Youth Music Exchange for Refugee and Global Youth Empowerment, which brings together refugee youth and their global peers to co-create original music and digital storytelling projects centered on identity, inclusion, and peace building. Beginning with youth living in refugee camps in Berlin and US/MENA youth, future phases will include global youth and displaced youth from other regions.
Peace Tracks employs a participatory, trauma-informed, and arts-based education model that centers youth leadership, emotional safety, creativity, and cross-cultural learning. The program is delivered through a hybrid of virtual platforms and in-person community engagements, adapted to the context of each country.
Key Activities:
Cultural Introductions on Microsoft Teams
Theme Discussions Facilitated by Educators and Camp-Based Musicians
Conflict Resolution Training Through Music Contexts
Song Selection and Group Formation
Creative Collaboration: Lyrics, Music, and Video
Live Video Meetups
Weekly In-Person Collaboration Sessions for Refugee Youth at Local Community Centres
Final Showcase: Live-Streamed Concert
Inclusive Access and Participation
Youth gain marketable skills in: songwriting and lyrical storytelling, audio recording and editing (Soundtrap). video production and montage (WeVideo), team-based project management and digital collaboration (Microsoft Teams)
Peace Tracks provides Wi-Fi vouchers, multilingual interpretation, community-based venues, and flexible participation schedules ensure that all youth—regardless of background, ability, or housing stability—can remain fully engaged.
Music-related mock conflicts to introduce peaceful dialogue, empathy, and nonviolent communication.
Participants present their work to broad, international audiences through a livestream concert and digital media campaign.
Peace Tracks has been promoted globally by the Stevens Initiative (part of the Aspen Institute), the virtual exchange organization that administered our two year US State Department grant. Peace Tracks has been spreading by word of mouth, especially by teachers and youth organization leaders who have experienced the impact of the program on their students. In addition, Peace Tracks has been spreading through the participation of Peace Tracks leadership in global discussions and meetings with organizations and individuals focused on education in emergencies, regions of conflicts and for displaced youth.
Peace Tracks leadership have attended and presented at the Sidebar events at the UNGA and Skoll World Forum - and have participated in the six week online course, Transformative Peace Education: from conflict to peaceful interactions, presented by the Berghof Foundation. Peace Tracks is a member of the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) and presented a workshop on Amplifying Youth Voices for Peace In Emergencies through Virtual Education Exchange Programs.
In our new refugee-focused initiative, Peace Tracks – Global Youth Music Exchange for
Refugee and Global Youth Empowerment starting in July 2025, we are partnering with the Berlin-based organization, Act for Transformation. We are engaging youth living in refugee camps in Berlin (from Uganda, Cameroon, Kenya, Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan, and other countries) alongside youth in the U.S., Middle East, and North Africa.
All youth are co-taught by adult musicians living in the refugee camps and current Peace Tracks teachers. A key leadership role is held by a local community leader in Berlin from Kenya with lived refugee experience, whose work in youth empowerment and intercultural peace building is central to our refugee engagement strategy.
In addition to our asynchronous and synchronous participation on Teams, Soundtrap and WeVideo, we have added weekly in-person collaboration sessions for refugee youth in Berlin at accessible community venues located near refugee shelters. These in-person meetings addresses the digital divide by providing internet access, equipment, interpreter support, and a safe, welcoming spaces.
Interactive workshops for all participants focused on conflict resolution and peace building have been added, using music-based scenarios to practice active listening, empathy, and nonviolent communication.
Refugee youth and their adult musician mentors will be formally recognized for their leadership and contributions through stipends and volunteer contracts.
Send an email to sandra@peacetracks.org
