“If we are to reach real peace in this world and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with children; and if they will grow up in their natural innocence, we won't have to struggle; we won't have to pass fruitless idle resolutions, but we shall go from love to love and peace to peace until at last all the corners of the world are covered with that peace and love for which consciously or unconsciously the whole world is hungering.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
Ecopeace Teen Cafe, a Cooperation Circle of Multiregion is a global movement working for young people that started in 2021 as an online dialogue and transformative education platform. Their training programs are focused on four modules, including care for the community, environment conservation, social justice, and peacebuilding.
The founder of this movement, Greshma Raju, believes that if people began to observe nature with more empathy, it might change the way they live and lead to a more sustainable and peaceful lifestyle. She starts this to foster and encourage a stronger bond between the next generation and nature.
This youth-led network uses Earth Charter principles as a guideline for its courses. The Earth Charter is a document consisting of 16 principles that act as an ethical guideline for sustainable development. The work of Ecopeace Teen Cafe is inspired by its preamble stating:
“We are once citizens of different nations and of one world in which the local and global are linked. Everyone shares responsibility for the present and future well-being of the human family and the larger living world. The spirit of human solidarity and kinship with all life is strengthened when we live with reverence for the gift of life and humility regarding the human place in nature.”
The team Ecopeace Teen Cafe is trying to provide a platform for young people to learn about the importance of caring for their community, respecting diversity, and how to take positive actions to protect and restore Earth’s ecosystem.
In two years, the Ecopeace family conducted a training program for teenagers in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The entire journey of Ecopeace promotes the love for nature and encourages young people to take compassionate and nature-friendly action for the betterment of the world.
As part of the training program, Ecopeace Teen Cafe launched a campaign called Plant a peace tree at Home. Through this campaign, they promote the opportunity to create a connection with nature. From planting to nurturing a tree, a teenager is growing with nature, by observing the growth of a plant, and the changes happening to it while growing and also observing the surrounding ecosystem, and also spending time on writing a daily reflection for more deep learning and transformations.
EcoPeace Teen Café recently hosted a training on new ways of environmental peacebuilding which is one of the new initiatives towards caring for Mother Earth. In addition, created youth talks on social media that host young people from different parts of the world who discuss various topics about environmental conservation and care.
Our world is becoming a hub of armed conflicts and climate change-related issues. It is important to take action for a better and safe world. As a network led by young people Ecopeace is strengthening the role of young people by creating an inclusive space and giving voice to the voiceless. Ecopeace Teen Cafe is diving deeper into the life of common people through dialogues and compassionate actions. Those compassionate actions bring smiles and peace to others. Ecopeace family calls for everyone to join together to create a better, safe, and sustainable world for generations to come.
