What role can music play in building more peaceful, inclusive communities?
This question sits at the heart of the MyPEACE – Music for Youth project, an Erasmus+ initiative that brought together partners from across Europe to explore how music can foster dialogue, understanding and positive social change among young people.
At Momentum, we have had the privilege of supporting this innovative project throughout its journey. As the Irish partner, we have worked alongside educators, youth organisations and musicians to examine how creative expression can help young people engage with some of the most important challenges facing society today.
While the project has produced a range of valuable educational resources and learning tools, some of its most meaningful outcomes emerged through direct engagement with young people themselves.
Creating Space for Conversations That Matter
Young people are often encouraged to discuss issues such as conflict, identity, belonging and social inclusion. Yet finding meaningful ways to engage with these topics can be challenging. Music offers a different approach.
It creates a shared experience that transcends language, culture and background. It allows participants to express ideas and emotions in ways that traditional discussions sometimes cannot. Through collaboration, performance and creativity, music can build trust, encourage empathy and create opportunities for genuine connection.
These principles were brought to life through Momentum’s collaboration with students at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Sligo.
Working with students involved in the University’s music community, we facilitated sessions that explored the connection between music and peacebuilding. Participants were invited to reflect on their own experiences, share perspectives on social issues and consider how music can be used as a force for understanding and inclusion.
The result was not simply a series of workshops. It became an opportunity for students to connect with one another through creativity while engaging with important themes that affect communities across Europe.
Learning Through Participation
One of the strengths of the MyPEACE project has been its commitment to active participation.
Rather than presenting peacebuilding as a purely academic concept, the project encouraged young people to experience it through practice. Music became the medium through which participants could collaborate, listen, create and communicate.
Throughout the ATU activities, students demonstrated how creative processes naturally encourage many of the skills associated with peacebuilding. Listening to others, negotiating ideas, working collaboratively and respecting different perspectives are all essential elements of both musical performance and community engagement.
By bringing these experiences together, the project created an environment where learning happened organically through participation.
The enthusiasm and engagement shown by the students reinforced a key finding from the project: when young people are given opportunities to contribute creatively, they become active participants in shaping more inclusive and connected communities.
Connecting Local Experiences to a European Conversation
A particularly valuable aspect of MyPEACE was its international dimension.
The project brought together organisations and participants from several European countries, creating opportunities to exchange ideas, share experiences and learn from different cultural contexts.
For the students involved, this meant becoming part of a wider conversation about the role of creativity, culture and youth participation in promoting peace and social cohesion.
While every country and community faces unique challenges, many of the themes explored throughout the project were universal. Questions around identity, belonging, inclusion and community resonate across borders, making international collaboration particularly valuable.
Through MyPEACE, local experiences at ATU became connected to a broader European effort to empower young people through creative engagement.
Building Resources for Future Generations
Alongside its practical activities, MyPEACE has also created a lasting legacy through the development of a range of educational resources.
The project partners worked together to produce tools that can support youth workers, educators, musicians and community organisations interested in using music as a vehicle for peacebuilding.
These resources include practical guidance, examples of good practice, learning activities and digital content designed to help others replicate and adapt the project’s approach in their own settings.
Importantly, the resources are grounded in real experiences gathered throughout the project. They reflect lessons learned from workshops, international exchanges and collaborations with young people, ensuring that the materials remain practical, relevant and accessible.
For organisations seeking innovative ways to engage young people, the MyPEACE resources provide a valuable starting point.
Looking Ahead
As the project draws to a close, its impact continues through the relationships formed, the skills developed and the resources now available to a wider audience.
For Momentum, one of the most rewarding aspects of the project has been witnessing the creativity, openness and enthusiasm of the young people involved. The work with ATU students demonstrated how music can create meaningful opportunities for dialogue and collaboration while helping participants explore complex social issues in an engaging and accessible way.
Sometimes, all it takes is a conversation. Sometimes, it begins with a song. And sometimes, through projects like MyPEACE, it becomes the foundation for stronger, more connected communities across Europe.