On May 21 and 22, 2025, a delegation of young people from the Terrou Rural Family Home participated in Rural Youth Peace Festival, organised at the European Parliament in Strasbourg as part of the Erasmus+ Youth project PEACEAt the heart of this meeting: collective reflection on peace with oneself, with others and with the worldand the place of rural youth in European democracy — a major theme of the EU Youth Structured Dialogue.
During this event, the young people debated and voted nine recommendations concrete solutions, resulting from a collective co-construction process. Organized around three main areas — peace with oneself (well-being and mental health) peace with others (inclusion, respect, living together) and peace with the world (climate justice, territorial partnerships, international engagement) — these proposals constitute a A plea for lasting peace, supported by rural youth and now mobilizable in educational projects, local initiatives and institutional dialogues at all levels.
This work has not remained symbolic: it fuels exchanges between young people, local elected officials, education networks and European decision-makers, reinforcing the idea that Peace is not just described, it is built starting today with and by young people..
Le Freedom Prize : a citizen experience at the heart of Parliament
Led by the International Institute for Human Rights and Peace and the Normandy Region, the Freedom Prize It was also presented to young people at the European Parliament. Designed with and for young people, this prize is awarded annually to individuals or organizations committed to defending fundamental freedoms.
At the Strasbourg event, a member of the international jury shared their experience—a powerful testimony on listening, collective expression, and the importance of making informed democratic choices. Young people were able to vote for their favorite candidates themselves, experiencing firsthand the power of a collective voice within an institutional framework.
For vocational education and training (VET) networks and rural areas, this experience represents a significant step: it demonstrates that youth engagement is not limited to local spaces, but finds its place in European arenas of dialogue and decision-making. The recommendations stemming from PEACE demonstrate the capacity of rural youth for analysis, proposals, and mobilization, and offer operational tools for structuring projects, workshops, and educational pathways that align with civic, social, and environmental challenges.
The PEACE project confirms that mobilizing rural youth on major societal issues—peace, inclusion, freedom, climate justice—is not solely a matter of civic education, but of the actual exercise of European citizenshipThe recommendations produced and the experiences carried out in the European Parliament constitute a solid basis for strengthening participatory practices in the territories, encouraging local initiatives and fostering dialogue with European and national institutions.
A journey that illustrates the impact of the project
Beyond the collective dynamic, the PEACE project has also had a concrete impact on individual trajectories. Sonam Michel, a student in Terminale CGEH at the MFR of Terrou, is a strong illustration of this.
Having been involved in several initiatives promoting commitment and professional excellence (Best Apprentice of France, civic projects, young leaders challenges), he was selected to join the international jury of the 2026 Freedom Prizealongside young people from many countries. This selection allows him to participate in the analysis of applications and the final vote rewarding an individual or organization committed to defending fundamental freedoms.
Her journey demonstrates the powerful impact of Erasmus+ Youth projects: by providing access to European institutions and international participation mechanisms, they enable young people from rural areas to take part in significant decision-making bodies. Thus, the experience at the European Parliament is not limited to a single event. It is part of a broader dynamic of engagement, empowerment, and European openness, which strengthens young people, institutions, and communities alike.
