© 2024. PHOTO BY PEACE DIALOGUE NGO. AUTHOR: RIMA GALSTYAN
From July 29 to August 3, 2024, Peace Dialogue NGO hosted the «Mind Puzzle» summer school in Gyumri, designed to cultivate creative, analytical, and critical thinking among 12 young individuals from the Shirak, Lori, and Tavush regions of northern Armenia. Among the participants were young people from families forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, who had found refuge in these regions. This initiative was part of the «Contact 3.0» project by Peace Dialogue, in partnership with the German organization OWEN.
Under the guidance of Rima Galstyan and dedicated volunteers from Vanadzor, the «Mind Puzzle» summer school provided a vibrant platform for young participants to explore their potential, gain new insights, and develop essential skills in self-expression and self-discovery. The program featured a diverse range of activities that encouraged participants to share experiences, overcome stereotypes, enhance communication, and apply analytical tools.
A central element of the program was Playback Theater, offering a creative and interactive method for exploring various perspectives. This approach aimed to promote self-expression, reframe personal narratives, and foster resilience and personal growth. Additionally, key discussions on stereotypes and identity were enriched by a comprehensive two-day course on conflict analysis, led by expert Hayk Toroyan. This course sharpened participants’ analytical and critical thinking skills, broadening their perspectives on conflict resolution. The interactive team-building exercises further strengthened trust and collaboration among the participants.
The active involvement of volunteers, many of whom had participated in previous Peace Dialogue initiatives, was crucial to the program’s success. Their contributions illustrate the organization’s commitment to empowering youth and inspiring them to develop their own initiatives and ideas.
The summer school was implemented in the scope of the project Contact 3.0.
Project’s German Partner – OWEN – Mobile Akademie für Geschlechterdemokratie und Friedensförderung e.V.
The project is supported by the zivik (Civil Conflict Resolution) programme of the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) with means from the German Federal Foreign Office.
