Beyond Borders: A Week of Dialogue, Empathy, and Friendship in Prizren

July 21–29 were very special days for 32 young people from different corners of the world.

The International Peacebuilding Camp 2026 brought together teenagers from Kosovo, Albania, Israel, Palestine, and the United States in Prizren for a week where dialogue became part of their daily routine.

The camp was organized by TOKA in cooperation with Debate for Peace from Israel and partners from Fort Dodge, Iowa, bringing together five delegations in a program built around dialogue, empathy, and cooperation.

The first days began with getting to know one another and building trust within the group. Through games, team challenges, and creative activities, participants began forming connections beyond the delegations they had arrived with.

But the program gradually evolved into deeper activities.

At the heart of the program were five dialogue sessions, held in mixed groups.

Dialogue did not take place only through discussions. Other activities such as “Empathy Storytelling,” “Writers Matter,” and “Music for Dialogue” allowed campers to explore one another’s experiences more deeply through creative forms of expression. The dialogue sessions were facilitated by Steven Aiello and Hala Abusaris from Debate for Peace. Debate for Peace brings together Arab and Jewish students from Israeli and Palestinian territories to debate, negotiate, and work toward addressing conflicts and global challenges. Learn more about Debate for Peace here.

The young people took on challenges that required them to build, create, negotiate, and make decisions together. During group activities, they were asked, among other things, to identify what they had in common, write in the languages represented at the camp, build boats, construct pasta towers, and create balloon towers.

At the same time, the program included plenty of moments that simply gave them the opportunity to be teenagers together: Iron Chef, basketball and volleyball tournaments, the Water Olympics, Cultural Night, and other evening activities.

During Cultural Night, each delegation had the opportunity to present its country and culture through presentations, quizzes, and materials prepared by the participants themselves. Another day took everyone outside the camp to explore the beautiful city of Prizren.

One of the camp’s goals was to ensure that the experience would not end on July 29.

Participants worked on Social Action Plans, developing and finalizing ideas that could carry the spirit of the camp into their own communities.

The results at the end of the camp showed a significant change in how participants thought about conflict and their role in peacebuilding.

85.7% of participants said they believe that listening to different perspectives can help resolve conflicts. 86% considered understanding all sides of a conflict important, while 82.1% believe that young people can make a difference in promoting peace.

For some, this was an entirely new experience: 93% were participating in a TOKA program for the first time, while for 61%, it was their first experience in a peacebuilding or dialogue activity. See the results here.

Beyond the numbers, the impact of the camp is best reflected in how the participants themselves describe their experience.

“I got to meet completely new people from different parts of the world and build connections with them in ways I never could have imagined. I don’t think I’ve ever been as active as I was during this week, yet I still have so much energy, motivation, and so many ideas inside me.”

Lisa Shahini, 16

At the end of the nine days, the 32 young people returned home with more than photographs and summer memories. They took with them new friendships, stories they might otherwise never have heard, and a new way of thinking about conflict, dialogue, and the role each of them can play in their own community.

We extend our special thanks to Steven Aiello and the Debate for Peace team, the staff from Fort Dodge, Iowa, as well as the staff from Kosovo, for their dedication and invaluable contributions, without which this camp would not have been possible.

Special appreciation also goes to Ozon Space LLC for supporting two campers with scholarships, as well as Lorik Shala BI – N.SH. Rilokimi for their contribution and support in making the camp possible.