The event took place on a former sea fortress, now transformed into a sanctuary for young people to pursue their dreams and become part of new communities. During the UN’s International Day of Peace on September 21, 2024, the island served as a platform for creative expression, community activities, and reflection.
“This was an invitation to dream big and take action together,” said Philip Bryndum from Citytransformers, who has been involved since the first Peace Day gathering on the island in 2020. This year, the peace meeting acted as a prelude to the UN’s Summit of the Future in New York, where world leaders came together to agree on a “Pact for the Future” with a focus on the 2030 goals.
Amalie Holmefjord, Norway’s youth delegate to the UNFCCC, emphasized the importance of youth participation in global decision-making processes: “That’s why we invited youth delegates from across the Nordic region to take part in the Peace Day, so they could help carry the message from Youth Island to the UN.”
At sunset on September 21, a peace fire was lit in an abandoned cannon position by Greenlandic Elder Angajoq Nattoralissuaq, who shared songs and stories from the far north. The evening concluded with a livestreamed concert featuring Finnish violinist and ethnomusicologist Tuomas Rounakari, who, together with Angajoq, performed an old Greenlandic song accompanied by the duo Axis Mundi Experience and a group of singers from diverse cultures.
The peace fire burned all night, and the following morning, a sunrise ceremony took place before the young organizers passed the torch to the youth delegates traveling to New York to participate in the UN’s Summit of the Future.
The project has been granted funding from the Norden 0-30 grant programme in 2024.
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