MasterPeace around the world: Tunisia

With #MasterPeace_Around_The_World, we focus on the people behind our 45+ MasterPeace clubs. We are built on their ideas, hard work, and creativity and would like to share their stories with you.

Today, MasterPeace Around the World brings us to Monastir (مـنسـتير), Tunisia. In addition to beaches, sun, and fun, Monastir is also the place to learn about volunteering for peace, a concept that was brought to life by our Tunisian MasterPeace Club Leader Salmi Béchir. With a Master’s degree and more than 29 years of experience in youth work and project management, we could say that Béchir is one of our most experienced peace-builders at MasterPeace! He has also been the director of the youth center at the Tunisian ministry of youth and sports since 1990. His mission? Spreading peace! This brought him to MasterPeace, where he can express this passion by supporting European Youth in Action with SALTO-YOUTH and Erasmus+ programmes. He is educating the next generation of volunteers and peace-builders to push for a peaceful Tunisia. Via this approach, Béchir hopes to encourage the new generation in consciousness and responsibility and strives towards continued economic and social construction with the aim of building a new Tunisia.

New Tunisia? In 2011, the country witnessed a Revolution, where unemployment, food inflation, government corruption, lack of political freedom, social inequalities, and poor living conditions were the underlying reasons for the demonstrations. Despite the complicated situation and a low budget, Béchir stayed strong and helped to reduce the negative effects of the revolution, strengthening social relationships and motivating social peace.

Some of the best practices by MasterPeace Tunisia at the moment are youth exchange programs between Tunisian and European youth that focus on creating, building and spreading peace. With these activities, he wants to open up the hearts and minds of youth for other cultures and ideas. During these exchange programs, the participants are taught about multicultural leadership, the Sustainable Development Goals (as a vehicle for discussion) and the power of positive thinking. The workshops build the foundation for life-long friendships and initiate new visions on how social inclusion and peace can be reached in their own communities.

Did you already start volunteering for Peace?

testimony:

“MasterPeace teaches me to thrive on ideas, possibilities, and big thoughts. I am a dreamer and can think of a million projects at the same time. The youth projects that I am involved in heavily support my aspirations. Via MasterPeace I learned to work on my project management skills through co-creation, feedback, and honest team-work.

MasterPeace offers the expertise of many countries and we help each other to create beautiful things. We push each other, believe in each other, and love to work on peace – together.”