The peace camp experience is designed to help youth discover their personal value and dignity through God’s love, to treat others with compassion and respect, and take personal responsibility to act for change in their communities. We focus on skills development in communication & conflict transformation, creativity, mental health, peer mediation, social enterprise, and leadership to build a healthy, thriving life for all. Throughout the year, we follow up with associated peace clubs and provide other training and events, including the 10,000 Dreams Challenge to encourage youth social enterprise.

WANNA GO TO PEACE CAMP? Are you a youth between the ages of 16-25 living in the Great Lakes Region of Africa? Limited scholarships are available. Apply today!

Peace Camp Application 2023

or  Contact us today!

You can send more youth to peace camp for a life changing experience. Help train and encourage these amazing youth catalysts for peace and development.  Learn more

So, What Do We Do at Peace Camp?

We believe that at the heart of all learning is experience. Peace Camp is designed accordingly. Learning takes place in small groups and through interactive methods such as role play and mapping, games, sports, art, dance, song and drama, to encourage creative expression, critical thinking and dialogue.

Daily workshops

 

Camp participants receive fun, hands-on skills training in: conflict transformation and peer mediation; media and communications; art therapy; mental health and trauma counselling; and social entrepreneurship.

Art Therapy

Peace starts within! Each day we have times of reflection, to nurture inner peace and spiritual development, a crucial aspect to sustainable peacebuilding! Youth keep journals, draw, and create skits, songs and dances to share thoughts and feelings.

And at the end of the day: Campfire

Highlights from Peace Camp Over the Years

 

Hello #12 – Peace Camp continues to be a life-changing experience as 50 youth from Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania & Uganda gather for fun & learning – building vital life and peace building skills (conflict transformation, leadership, entrepreneurship and more). It’s creating bonds of friendship across the region. A highlight was the participation of a “young-at-heart” team from Canada (FBC Toronto) join us; and a session with a seasoned entrepreneur who shared his personal experience, challenges & successes.

After a 2-year hiatus due to COVID-19, we were thrilled to hold Peace Camp once again in Aug 2022 with over 50 youth participants from Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. A highlight was the Peace Olympics, with fun team competitions, as learning on the use of sports and games for peacebuilding; as well as a special entrepreneurship session with a young entrepreneur from Rwanda (APOL’s very own executive director, Prince Mugisha) who shared his experience in the successful launch of Lion’s Bridge Cafe!

Happy 10th birthday! In 2019, we celebrated our 10th anniversary of peace camp with a special alumni reunion day and party at the end of the week. In addition to the usual fun and peace games, we had new workshops on trauma counselling interventions and non-violent communication. Follow us on social media for more photos and updates.

Our 9th annual camp hosted teams of youth from DR Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda as well as a youth team from Canada (FBC Toronto). The water balloon toss, as part of our Peace Olympics, was a new and popular activity!

In August 2017, we held our 8th annual peace camp with youth participants from around the Great Lakes Region – Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda; as well as a team of volunteers from Canada and the USA.

A walk to Lake Kivu for an afternoon of fun at the beach and a new marshmallow engineering challenge as part of introduction to social enterprise were just some of the highlights at our 7th annual peace camp!

 

In 2015, we were thrilled to hold our first peace camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo in addition to our 6th annual peace camp in Rwanda. A highlight at both camps was a special community peace concert. See more photos

Happy 5th birthday! Peace Camp 2014 (held July 27-Aug 2) was our largest to date, bringing together 90 youth representing four countries – Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and our first team of youth from Canada (First Baptist/Toronto) See more photos

Peace Camp 2013 was held Nov. 18-25, once again in Kigali. We had 65 youth attend (including a team of 11 from the DR Congo and three youth reps from Kenya). A highlight was the pottery workshop at a local cooperative. See more photos

Peace Camp 2012 was our first camp to be held in Kigali, the capital city. We brought together over 60 youth from across Rwanda as well as a team of youth leaders from neighbouring DR Congo and a team of volunteer staff from Canada and Kenya. A highlight was a deeply moving visit to the national genocide memorial. See more photos

Peace Camp 2011 we brought together almost 80 youth for our second annual peace camp. This time it was held in Gisenyi, on the shores of Lake Kivu. We were thrilled to have a few participants join us from the DR Congo, right across the border. See more photos

Our very first peace camp was held in November 2010 in Nyange – we brought 48 youth from 6 secondary schools across Rwanda (operated by the Association of Baptist Churches of Rwanda). A highlight was a solidarity walk to Ecole Secondaire de Nyange, a significant historical site where students refused to separate. 13 were killed. We were thrilled to be joined by Phanuel, a living Rwandan hero, one of the student survivors, as we commemorated the courage of youth who gave their lives for peace  See more photos