Description/achievement of initiative
The Blue Ribbon Global offers student-centered education (15 to mid-30s) for building peace and unity in diversity by internalizing good character Values and externalizing values through Community Engagement and Environmental Care Projects. The program facilitates relationships and partnerships among youth to become borderless peacemakers and closely mentors potential leaders.
Implementation methodologies
TBR teaching-learning methodology follows UNESCO's Education for Sustainable Development that emphasizes three domains: cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioral. Workshops consist of engaging activities, i.e. active learning and self-directed learning. Teaching materials, soft copies consist of power points, props list, Training of Facilitators (TOF) materials, co-facilitating experience, class observations, soft copies of training booklet and student handbook. Google Classroom set up for each hosting country also connects the youth from various countries on one platform and on-line learning materials. Other digital learning materials accessible for the facilitators are Kahoot Game, GQR codes, and links to relevant Google Forms. Assessment materials are also provided when the education is run as one year subject at high school.
TBR meets the local young peace leaders and program facilitators face-to-face or virtually a few times a year to discuss local situations, to provide continuous training, mutual support, collaboration, and celebrate friendships.
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
TBR provides continuous mentoring as long as the relationship prevails with the partners. Continuous training for face-to-face and virtual learning, however, is provided during the first two years. Then onwards, young peacemakers are encouraged to meet-up and share about their work and learn from each other during the annual Young Peacemakers UnConference (YPuC). This gathering started informally in 2016 between youth peacemakers in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and internationals that reside in Singapore. In 2018, TBR's officiate this together with University of Malaya. This year, 2019, YPuC will be hosted in September by TBR's Malaysia's partner, UCSI Group - SDGs office and UCSI University, Malaysia.
The outcomes of this program are (1) formation of committed and trained youth that can work on reconciling multicultural tension and relationship building within its own local community (2) belongingness and support among the young peacemakers for borderless peace network and non-violence conflict resolution.
Coordination mechanisms/governance structure
The country's program host, its partners, and TBR's local partners decide collaboratively on aspiration, strategies, and implementation of the peace and unity education and the capacity building of the local facilitators and trainers. TBR provides its teaching-learning content, delivers the education, and raise and empowers local facilitators and trainers to gradually take the leading role in running this education program. The local hosts normally organize and host the peace programs with TBR's guidance and increasingly move towards independence. Key leaders from various countries meet each other too during annual unconference or when they volunteer together in different countries or locally. The fund is raised through training fees, sponsorship, and volunteerism.
Partner(s)
UCSI Group (Malaysia), Bodynits BBA, Goducate (Philippine), UNHCR Malaysia, El-Shaddai LCtr, Pathways for Mutual Respect (USA)