Since joining the YMCA team and working on the Shared Agenda for Peace project in Northern Ireland, I wanted to understand more about what peace really means in practice, not just as a word we use, but as something we live.

Last month I had the chance to travel to Dresden, Germany with YMCA Roots. There were YMCA staff from over 11 countries around the world all involved in peace work. It turned out to be one of the most powerful learning experiences I’ve ever had.

Dresden is a city that carries its history everywhere you look. During World War II, it was almost completely destroyed, but walking through it now you can see how much effort has gone into rebuilding – not only the buildings, but relationships, community and hope.

Most of our sessions took place in the Frauenkirche, the main church in the city, which was rebuilt just over 20 years ago using some of the same stones that fell during the bombing. Standing inside that space, surrounded by people from different backgrounds, I really felt what peace and forgiveness can look like in real life.

While we were there, we explored ideas around conflict, justice and reconciliation. One framework that stood out for me was the Do No Harm principle. This framework is about thinking carefully about how our actions, even actions that we deem to be good, may have a significant impact on others. This idea really resonated with me as someone working with young people back home, because in Northern Ireland, our communities can still be sensitive and divided in different ways. It reminded me that peace work isn’t just about big projects or events; it’s about how we treat each other day to day, and how we create spaces where everyone feels safe and respected.

The trip also gave me time to reflect on my own approach, I realised that sometimes, when we’re trying to do good, we might not see how our assumptions or choices could hurt someone else. Since coming back, I’ve tried to build more reflection into the sessions I help run encouraging young people to think about how they communicate and how their actions can build up or break down trust. This is something I am trying to share with all the staff that I work with in YMCA on a local level, ensuring that while they wear many hats and run various projects, peace and reconciliation is at the heart of all the work we do together.

More than anything, being in Dresden reminded me that peace and justice start with small steps. The people there didn’t rebuild overnight; it took years of patience, honesty and courage to face what happened and to choose something better. That’s what I want to bring into my own work, the idea that every conversation, every project, and every young person has a part to play in shaping a fairer, more peaceful community.

Daniel Byrne
Shared Agenda For Peace