Duration: March, 2010 - February, 2014

Budget: $1,063,061

Implementing Partner: International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) 

The Youth Theater for Peace (YTP) program promotes sustainable conflict prevention and a culture of peace at the community, regional, and national levels through a participatory theater methodology called Drama for Conflict Transformation (DCT). The YTP model equips youth and their adult mentors to lead community-based conflict resolution activities and build trust across ethnic and religious lines. Through DCT theater training, youth and adult participants develop skills to analyze, prevent, and resolve conflict; facilitate and lead conflict resolution activities; and engage audiences in their home communities.

YTP activities include DCT training for young people and youth-serving adults, support for school-based Drama Clubs and community Theater Tours, and seed grants to foster sustainable adoption of the DCT methodology. From 2010-2012, YTP engaged communities in Batken and Chui regions and directly trained over 250 youth and adults. From 2012-2014, YTP will expand to train 85 young people and youth-serving adults in Talas and Naryn regions, support inter-regional collaboration initiatives, and continue investing in training, grants and capacity-building for Batken and Chui beneficiaries to work towards sustainability of the DCT methodology at the national level.

Since 2010, YTP participants have formed 22 Drama Clubs that support youth-led conflict prevention activities in the Kyrgyz Republic and reached over 21,000 people through interactive performances.

An externally-led evaluation in fall 2011 found that YTP participants, in contrast to a demographically similar comparison group, reported higher levels of empathy for people of different ethnic, religious or national origins; greater confidence in their ability to positively affect conflict situations in their communities; and improved confidence when speaking with government officials or community leaders (83% of participants vs. 16% of non-participants).

The Youth Theater for Peace program is implemented by the International Research and Exchanges Board.