Launching the Set Sail for Dialogue Programme: Youth in dialogue for peace on the 123rd Global Voyage

Today marks the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, and at this timing, we are excited to announce the start of a unique scholarship programme onboard Peace Boat, taking place between May 26 and June 12, 2026.
 
Under the name Set Sail for Dialogue, the programme will offer direct experiences, education and training on dialogue techniques and principles, to enhance the capacity of young people for building international dialogue for peace and cooperation across borders.
 
Six Europe-based participants were selected to join the programme for the segment from Amsterdam (the Netherlands) to New York (United States), visiting Bergen (Norway) and Reykjavik (Iceland) on this route. All participants share a passion for international issues, as well as engagement in dialogue and peacebuilding influenced by their own backgrounds and reality in their communities.
 

 
At a time marked by devastating war in Ukraine and the Middle East, rising militarization, nuclear risks, weakening international institutions, and the accelerating climate crisis, the need for dialogue has never been more urgent.
 
The Set Sail for Dialogue programme will offer participants specialized dialogue training from Chro Borhan, an expert facilitator from the Nobel Peace Center in Norway, in a series of sessions and workshops based on interactive methodology, role plays and real-world case studies.

Another highlight of the programme will be the chance to meet and listen to the testimony of Tanaka Toshiko, artist and survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and visit the powerful onboard exhibition “A Message to Humanity,” dedicated to the survivors of nuclear attacks their work to rid the world of current nuclear threats.
 
The participants will also engage with other Guest Educators onboard Peace Boat including Susi Snyder, Director of Programmes at the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Susi will share her expertise on anti-nuclear activism and divestment from the military industry, as well as skills in creating dialogue with actors in the United Nations, governments, and local and international NGOs on military and security issues.
 
During the journey with Peace Boat, the participants of the Set Sail for Dialogue programme will learn directly from experts, including United Nations officials, about real-world political challenges, build practical skills in dialogue and peacebuilding, and connect with a global network of changemakers. Watch this space for more updates from their journey!
 
This  programme is being organised in cooperation with the Nobel Peace Center, Norway.