At the MFR Youth Festival, rural youth not only spoke out, but also formulated a structured and committed advocacy, built over several stages based on their own reflections, experiences, and priorities. This advocacy is an extension of the preparatory events organized in the region, where young people collectively reflected on the following themes: Peace with oneself, with others and with the world.
The co-construction process was based on 18 proposals, resulting from the reflections of young people in the region. These proposals were debated, defended and submitted to a collective vote in the exceptional framework of the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Thanks to the institution's official voting system, young people selected the 9 recommendations the most supported: 3 per axis. This process of deliberation and choice reflects a complete democratic approach, based on listening, participation and the power to act.
🧠 Peace with yourself
Objective: To promote mental health, well-being and self-awareness.
- Integrate stress management, emotion management and self-awareness workshops into school curricula.
- Promote sporting, creative and outdoor activities as levers for physical and mental well-being.
- Deploy healthy eating workshops to link physical health and self-esteem.
🤝 Peace with others
Objective: to strengthen social ties, inclusion and mutual respect.
- Integrate modules from a young age to teach respect, cooperation and living together.
- Raise awareness of the responsible use of social networks and cyber citizenship.
- Use team sport as a tool for diversity, mediation and understanding of social rules.
🌍 Peace with the world
Objective: to develop a collective and united awareness on a global scale.
- Raise awareness of climate justice through educational programs and concrete projects.
- Organize annual events linked to the SDGs mobilizing young people and their territories.
- Promoting sport as a universal language in the service of peace and international inclusion.
This plea powerfully illustrates the capacity of rural youth to analyze, propose ideas, and mobilize. Through this collective stance, they affirm their desire to be active players in a fairer, more sustainable, and more peaceful world.
These 9 recommendations now constitute a basis of action to feed educational projects, local and national advocacy initiatives, and dialogues with institutions. They have already been integrated by the MFR administrators present, representatives of the Ministry of Youth, as well as regional elected officials from Normandy and Provence, to feed into institutional exchanges. At the same time, young people themselves are invited to take it up, or to be inspired by the approach, to bring it to their territories with MFR administrators, municipal and departmental elected officials, and to advance a concrete vision of rural youth in peace.
A clear message: peace is built now, by and with young people.
