PPA Alumni in Action: Connection & Collaboration

One of the greatest strengths of the Peace Practice Alliance is its diverse community of peace leaders who learn from and support one another. This October, Francoise (PPA ‘24) from Cameroon and Edriss (PPA ‘23) from Afghanistan brought their shared vision for peace to life in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where they partnered to support refugees from the Central African Republic. Their collaboration is a powerful example of the PPA network in action—where peace leaders from different backgrounds connect, share knowledge, and uplift each other. Together, Francoise and Edris led impactful initiatives for women and children, using breathing exercises, art, and self-reflection that help cultivate inner peace and resilience in the face of hardship.

“By fostering inner peace, people can build self-confidence, develop resilience, and nurture empathy and kindness. These qualities help individuals understand themselves, find inner tranquility, and better handle life’s challenges. This was one of our goals in Cameroon, where we worked with refugees from the Central African Republic who had fled due to war and were in need of humanitarian assistance. The Human Rights Bridge organization and the Family Health and Development Foundation, we organized two programs: one with women focusing on individual peace, and another with children centered on art as a means to cultivate inner peace.

The women’s program allowed participants to reflect on their lives, express their emotions, and reconsider their aspirations for inner peace. In one segment, we practiced breathing exercises to promote relaxation and self-awareness. Many women found this transformative. One participant mentioned that she felt anxious and had a headache on her way to the session, but after the breathing exercises, she experienced a sense of calm and relief.

The children’s program was filled with excitement and energy. Children eagerly attended the event, where they used colorful pencils to create drawings that reflected their hearts and minds. As they expressed themselves through art, joy and peace filled the room. At the end of the session, the children proudly shared their drawings with one another, laughing and celebrating their creations.

Through these two programs, we successfully integrated theoretical and practical approaches to individual peace with both women and children, achieving remarkable results.”