Music has long been described as a universal language. It has the power to connect people across cultures, communities and experiences, creating spaces for dialogue where words alone may fall short. This belief sits at the heart of the MY PEACE (Music for Youth – A Peacebuilding Approach) project, an Erasmus+ initiative that has brought together organisations from across Europe to explore how music can be used as a tool for peacebuilding, inclusion and youth engagement.
As Ireland’s partner in the project, Momentum has played a key role in ensuring the quality and impact of the initiative while leading the dissemination and promotion of project activities and results. Throughout the project, our focus has been on ensuring that the resources developed are practical, accessible and capable of making a lasting difference for educators, youth workers, music practitioners and young people themselves.
Creating Resources That Last Beyond the Project
One of the most significant achievements of MY PEACE has been the development of a suite of resources designed to help organisations and educators use music as a vehicle for peacebuilding.
The project’s flagship resource, the MyPEACE Roadmap, provides a practical methodology for youth educators and peacebuilding practitioners who want to engage young people through music. The roadmap offers guidance, activities and approaches that can be adapted for both formal and non-formal learning environments, helping facilitators create meaningful opportunities for dialogue, inclusion and civic participation.
Alongside the roadmap, the MyPEACE Music Session Reports showcases inspiring examples from across Europe where music has been successfully used to promote peace, inclusion and understanding among young people. These real-world case studies provide valuable inspiration for educators and community organisations seeking innovative ways to engage young people in social issues and community development.
The project has also delivered a comprehensive Digital Learning Portal, bringing together videos, learning materials, exercises, interviews and practical tools in one accessible online space. The portal ensures that the learning generated through MY PEACE remains available long after the project concludes, allowing educators and young people across Europe to continue exploring the relationship between music, creativity and peacebuilding.
Together, these resources provide a lasting legacy for the project and offer practical support to anyone interested in using creative approaches to strengthen dialogue, resilience and community cohesion.
Bringing the Project to Life with ATU Music Students
While the resources are an important outcome, the true spirit of MY PEACE emerged through direct engagement with young people.
Momentum had the opportunity to collaborate with students at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Sligo, working closely with the University’s Music and Bands Society. Through a series of music sessions, students explored the themes of peacebuilding, conflict resolution and the role that music can play in fostering understanding between individuals and communities.
The sessions combined discussion, reflection and musical collaboration. Students were invited to consider how music had influenced their own lives and how it could be used to create positive social change. Through facilitated conversations, participants shared perspectives on peace, identity and belonging before coming together to create and perform music inspired by these themes.
What made these sessions particularly powerful was the diversity of voices involved. Students from different academic disciplines, backgrounds and nationalities contributed their experiences, demonstrating how music can create common ground and foster genuine connections. The sessions highlighted the ability of music to encourage empathy, open conversations and build relationships across perceived differences.
The collaboration extended beyond local activities. ATU students also participated in international learning experiences through the project, joining peers, educators and youth workers from across Europe. These exchanges culminated in collaborative workshops and the creation of original musical performances that reflected shared experiences of peacebuilding, cultural awareness and cooperation.
A Lasting Impact
The MY PEACE project demonstrates that peacebuilding does not always begin in conference rooms or policy documents. Sometimes it begins in rehearsal spaces, classrooms and informal conversations between young people sharing music together.
For Momentum, working with the students at ATU brought the project’s ambitions to life. Their creativity, openness and willingness to engage with complex social issues through music demonstrated exactly why youth participation is so important in building more inclusive and resilient communities.
As the project reaches its conclusion, the resources developed through MY PEACE will continue to support educators, youth workers and music practitioners across Europe. We encourage anyone interested in youth engagement, peacebuilding or creative education to explore the roadmap, compendium and digital learning portal and consider how music might become a powerful tool within their own work.
The conversations, collaborations and connections formed through MY PEACE remind us that music is far more than entertainment. It can be a catalyst for understanding, a platform for dialogue and a powerful force for positive change.
Please visit the website to find out more: https://mypeaceproject.eu/