IAYSP EUME leaders’ meeting & Peace Designer education #Austria

We held the first leaders’ meeting of IAYSP EUME in Vienna, Austria, under the leadership of our regional YSP leader, Jeong-hye Yeom. The President of YSP International, Dr. Robert Kittel, sent YSP International Senior Vice-President Koji Matsuda and Director of IAYSP USA, Naokimi Ushiroda; to educate, inspire and guide the leaders of IAYSP EUME. We are so grateful that they could come to us at this time. The YSP leaders meeting was combined with a one-day Peace Designer education workshop lead by Mr. Ushiroda on January 28 that was also attended by other youth leaders in the EUME region.

Following breakfast, the Peace Designer education workshop began and was joined by seventeen other youth leaders from surrounding countries – making a total of twenty-three participants from eleven countries. The workshop started off with a one-hour introduction to YSP given by Mr. Koji Matsuda. Mr. Ushiroda delivered training on how to host a Peace Designer seminars in the future by provided an example of a real-case Peace Designer seminar with us, while adding comments and instructions in between the sessions. After lunch, the focus was moved towards developing our own peace projects. This was meant aimed towards the seventeen youth leaders who were not completely aware of YSP’s role and mission. Mr. Koji Matsuda gave a clear explanation that transitioned smoothly into the main event of the meeting: Peace Designer education.

By the end of the day, each group had presented their own idea for a peace project and we concluded the Peace Designer education with presenting certificates of completion to all the participants.

Over the two days, we felt a very warm and supportive atmosphere among the YSP directors. We have been in regular contact ever since the inauguration of IAYSP in EUME last April and have consolidated our connection with each other quite well; though this program provided the first time that most of us gathered together in this context. We could feel energized by each other’s company and support, and gain new inspiration through sharing practices and ideas with each other over meal and break times. We really look forward to meeting each other again after everyone has had the opportunity to put plans into action and bringing great results.