(Commonwealth)_ The Commonwealth has launched a fresh series of virtual peace talks to bridge the gap between generations and establish grassroots conflict resolution in member states. The newly launched Peace Talks series, as part of the broader Commonwealth Faith Festival, commenced on a motivational note with a gathering of illustrious peace-builders and youth leaders dedicated to promoting social cohesion and combating violent extremism.
The initial online session featured Rev Dr James Movel Wuye and Imam Dr Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa, the first-ever shared recipients of the Commonwealth Peace Prize. They had started the Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), a Nigerian grassroots movement that has recorded remarkable success in creating peace between Christian and Muslim communities. The center, made up of over 20,000 members, deals directly with the militias as well as with youth to divert their focus from violence to dialogue and reconciliation.
As tensions continue to intensify in many parts of the world, the Peace Talks offer a timely stage to discuss pragmatic, grassroots peace-building policies. Each month of sessions up through December 2025 will enable members to learn from experienced peace practitioners and new young leaders who are making a tangible, positive impact in their communities. This series has been arranged in collaboration with the Khalili Foundation, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network (CYPAN). These organizations join forces to facilitate intergenerational collaboration, enabling young peace-builders to learn directly from veteran peace-builders and transfer such knowledge to practice.
Mentoring and guidance form one of the significant aspects of the series. Commonwealth Peace Fellows, who are a set of celebrated conflict resolution professionals, will offer their expertise and guidance to young leaders from different walks of life in these workshops. In addition to promoting capacity development among the youth, it also fosters the network of peace-building across the globe in the Commonwealth. The Peace Talks are part of the Commonwealth Faith Festival, a broader project to celebrate and promote the role of faith in community cohesion, conflict prevention, and social progress. The Festival seeks to amplify the voices of those working for peace across religious, cultural, and generational boundaries and to share a sense of common purpose and strength.
In addition to the Peace Prize laureates, the opening session featured Haneekah Rahil, Global Coordinator of Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network, and Huey Yi, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Regional Engagement Lead. Speakers engaged diverse perspectives on the issue, symbolizing the multifaith, multicultural Commonwealth and further embracing the imperative of peaceful pluralism.
The series is available to all sorts of stakeholders, from Commonwealth Young Peace Ambassadors, youth networks and organizations that promote peace work to seasoned peace-builders. This model of partnership serves to lead the debate back to experience as well as imagination and produce practical solutions for complex problems.
The peace talks also address pressing matters of worldwide concern, such as social polarisation, radicalisation, and political instability. By establishing a safe, open online forum for conversation, the series invites participants to explore alternative, non-violent means of resolving conflict. Among the topics are countering violent extremism, tolerance, interfaith dialogue, and building social cohesion, which are increasingly important in the context of growing global polarisation. Peace Talks has the aim to motivate a new generation of members of the Commonwealth to get involved in their communities with the tools, resources, and global support they need to build durable peace. With additional episodes every month until the end of 2025, the series is a long-term attempt at instilling a culture of peace among the 56 member states of the Commonwealth.
