Host a Peace Circle

YOUR VOICE. YOUR COMMUNITY. YOUR PEACE.

Bring people together, listen to different perspectives, and turn one conversation into an action for peace.

What is a Peace Circle?

A Peace Circle is a friendly, youth-led conversation where people share what peace means to them, explore challenges in their community, and imagine solutions together. It is not a debate, a test or a formal meeting. You can host one with friends, family, fellow Scouts or neighbours—around a table, at a Scout meeting, outdoors or online.

For JOTA-JOTI 2026, this activity connects our theme, A Peaceful and Inclusive World, with the United Nations’ Hear Us. Act Now for a Peaceful World campaign and its Peace Circle approach. The UN campaign champions young people as partners in building peace. We invite Scouts to bring this spirit into their own communities and share their ideas on the JOTA-JOTI Peace Wall.

Your Peace Circle mission

Gather a small group and choose one peace question.
Listen to everyone’s ideas and explore different perspectives.
Agree on one realistic action your group can take.
Share your discoveries and action on the JOTA-JOTI Peace Wall (Padlet).

Plan your Peace Circle

Suggested time: 45–60 minutes (or longer if your group wants). Suggested group: 4–10 people, but adapt to your situation. Invite people of different ages and experiences where possible; make sure young people have space to lead. You need only a comfortable meeting place, one question, and a way to record ideas (paper or phone). An adult leader can support younger hosts when needed.

1. Bring your people together (before you start)

Invite friends, family, Scouts or people from your community. Choose a safe, accessible space and a time that works. Explain that this is a conversation about building peace—not an argument or a test.

2. Choose your question (5 minutes)

Pick ONE question that matters to your group. You can use one of the examples below or make your own question starting with “How might we…?”

3. Welcome everyone (5 minutes)

Sit where everyone can see one another. Say: “Today we’re here to listen, understand one another and think of something we can do together to make our community more peaceful and inclusive.” Invite each person to share their name and one word they connect with peace.

4. Agree on how to talk together (5 minutes)

Set simple rules: listen without interrupting; respect different experiences; no pressure to share personal stories; it is okay to pass; disagree with ideas respectfully, not with people. Do not repeat personal stories outside the group without permission. If a topic becomes upsetting, pause and ask a trusted adult or leader for support.

5. Explore the question (20–25 minutes)

Read your chosen question aloud. Invite people to share what they notice in their community, why the issue matters and whose voices might be missing. Ask: “Can someone see this differently?” “What would make this better?” “What can young people do?” Help quieter participants join without putting them on the spot. Write down the main ideas without names.

6. Choose one action (10 minutes)

Move from ideas to action. Ask: “What is one small, realistic step we can take?” Decide together what you will do, who will help and when you hope to start. Your action could be welcoming newcomers, creating a kindness campaign, challenging hurtful stereotypes or organising an inclusive community activity.

7. Close the circle (5 minutes)

Invite everyone to finish this sentence: “One thing I learned today is…” Thank everyone for listening. Check that your summary represents what the group actually said.

8. Share it on the Peace Wall (10 minutes)

Open the JOTA-JOTI Peace Wall on Padlet. Make ONE post for your Peace Circle using the fields listed below. You can write in your own words and add an optional drawing or group photo only with everyone’s permission. Never post private stories, contact information or identifiable photos of children without appropriate consent.

How might we make everyone feel welcome and included in our Scout group or community?
How might we respond when someone is excluded, bullied or treated unfairly?
How might we help people with different opinions listen to one another?
How might we use social media to build understanding instead of division?
How might we help young people lead positive change in our community?
How might we make our schools or communities better places to resolve conflict peacefully?

After your conversation, one person from your group should create a Padlet post. Your post represents the group’s shared learning, not private details about individual participants.

Title of our Peace Circle

Give your circle a short name, e.g. “Everyone Belongs”.

Country or community

Share your country or general community only; no street addresses.

Who joined?

Say how many people participated and broadly who they were (e.g. 6 Scouts and 2 family members).

Our peace question

Copy the “How might we…?” question your group discussed.

What we discovered

Write 2–3 sentences about the most important ideas or different perspectives you heard.

Our action for peace

Describe ONE concrete action you agreed on, who will help and when you hope to do it.

Our message to the world

Write one hopeful sentence to inspire other Scouts.

Photo or drawing (optional)

Upload a drawing, a picture of your ideas or a group photo with permission. Avoid names or identifying information.

Title: Everyone Belongs
Country: Guatemala
Who joined: 7 Scouts and 2 family members
Our peace question: How might we make new people feel welcome in our Scout group?
What we discovered: Joining a new group can feel intimidating. A friendly welcome and someone to explain activities can help.
Our action for peace: We will create a buddy system for new Scouts at our next meeting. Two volunteers will prepare it this month.
Our message to the world: “Peace begins when everyone feels they belong.”
Optional image: A drawing of our buddy system.

After posting, look at the ideas shared by Scouts in other communities. What challenges do you have in common? What solutions could work where you live? Leave a respectful, encouraging comment on another group’s idea.

You can host this JOTA-JOTI activity using the instructions on this page alone. If you would like to explore the original UN methodology or organise a more formal Peace Circle, these resources offer more detail:

United Nations — Hear Us. Act Now for a Peaceful World: https://www.un.org/en/peace-and-security/hear-us
UN Activist Toolkit: A Host’s Guide to Peace Circles (provided with this activity; includes additional themes, facilitation guidance and the original campaign’s reporting process).
UN campaign hashtag: #ActNowForPeace

Note for organisers: The toolkit describes a September 2025–September 2026 campaign and includes host/participant surveys and media uploads. The JOTA-JOTI Padlet is a separate activity wall; do not suggest its posts are automatically submitted to UN campaign reporting. Confirm any formal partnership wording and current UN submission arrangements before publishing.