Peace and antimilitarism
SCI and the concept of peace
SCI’s slogan is “Volunteering for peace”. It shows how much this word is meaningful for us. In SCI, we are manifesting for a “true peace”, including Inner peace, peace with others, Social and Political Peace, Peace with Nature. Let’s see what we put behind these words!
Inner peace
Inner peace is often seen as harmony and calmness, where nothing disturbs the world and no conflicts exist. This harmony is believed to begin within oneself, requiring a peaceful state of mind free from desires and efforts. In this calm state, the mind is at rest. The concept of peace as harmony is reflected in common language: leading a “peaceful life” implies being in harmony, and to “be at peace” means to be free from conflict.
Peace with nature
Living in peace means being connected with nature, respecting and caring for all living beings. It involves awareness and gratitude for the energy, food, water, materials, healing, and happiness that nature provides. To live sustainably, humans and the natural world must coexist in harmony, avoiding the destruction and degradation of the planet and its resources.
Peace with others
Peace should extend beyond ourselves to include building peaceful and harmonious relationships with others. This involves recognizing and overcoming the concept of “othering.” It requires an awareness of the values that shape our actions, enabling us to act non-violently and communicate peace. While conflicts may seem like a lack of peace, they can also make peace possible through practicing non-violent conflict resolution.
Negative and Positive Peace
Peace can mean more than the absence of violence, exploitation, or war, this is called negative peace, where peace is defined by what it is not. But true peace also involves building just and cooperative societies, this is positive peace, created through dialogue, equality, and shared responsibility. To achieve it, we must both resist violence and actively cultivate a culture of peace.
Peace in Action through SCI
By organising workcamps, long term volunteerings, training and seminars, you help us to promote our peace’s vision!
Volunteering with us contributes to sharing our definition of peace. This is our main goal and everything’s starts from here. We work on numerous projects realized through the working groups that support different initiatives to find ways for a more peaceful world. No More War takes a clear antimilitarist stand. Through this approach, SCI ensures that its work remains meaningful, effective, and responsive to the challenges faced by our global community.
Peace in practice
‘Peace’ is a big concept. It has many layers and levels of understanding. Throughout this year and beyond, SCI hopes to broaden young people’s understanding of and engagement with peace, as something more than just ‘absence of war’. We want to show that peace is something which can be lived on a day-to-day basis.
As a peace organisation in its 100th year of work, SCI wants to take the opportunity to renew its energies in peace activism and peace education. Particularly, through this project we want to offer opportunities for young people to help to contribute to a more peaceful world. Through becoming Peace Envoys, we hope that young people and partner organisations will be (re-)energised to spread messages of peace in their communities!
Peace Education in Practice online course
The online training took place from 30 October to 11 November 2020 and brought together youth leaders, activists, and volunteers from across Europe. Participants were invited to reflect deeply on peace at multiple levels—intrapersonal (peace with oneself), interpersonal (peace with others), and peace with nature. They gained practical tools, skills, and knowledge to put peace into practice, and many went on to organize follow-up local actions promoting peace.
In 2020, we developed an online training course on Peace in Practice, focusing on peace education in action. Our work began at the Kick-off Meeting in Antwerp and continued online throughout the year. The course was structured into seven modules: What is peace?, Inner peace, Peace with others, Social and political peace, Peace with nature and the environment, How to educate for peace, and Looking back, looking forward.
Peace Education in Practice Online course
In 2020, we developed an online training course on Peace in Practice, focusing on peace education in action. Our work began at the Kick-off Meeting in Antwerp and continued online throughout the year. The course was structured into seven modules: What is peace?, Inner peace, Peace with others, Social and political peace, Peace with nature and the environment, How to educate for peace, and Looking back, looking forward.
The online training took place from 30 October to 11 November 2020 and brought together youth leaders, activists, and volunteers from across Europe. Participants were invited to reflect deeply on peace at multiple levels—intrapersonal (peace with oneself), interpersonal (peace with others), and peace with nature. They gained practical tools, skills, and knowledge to put peace into practice, and many went on to organize follow-up local actions promoting peace.
No More War Working Group
Within SCI, our No More War working group aims to engage more young people in antimilitarist education and activism globally, with a clear political perspective. Our work focuses on three main pillars: educational work, activism support, and changing SCI while connecting with other networks. No More War takes a clear antimilitarist stand, guiding our efforts and initiatives worldwide.
The objectives
No More War Projects
No War Anywhere!
Engaging youth in antimilitarist education
January – December 2023
In response to the escalation of wars in Europe and worldwide in 2022, SCI Austria and GAIA Kosovo launched No War Anywhere!, a youth-centered project building on the earlier initiative Not Your Soldier. The project aimed to strengthen antimilitarist education within the SCI movement and empower young people to stand against militarism, armed conflict, and conscription.
As a historic peace organization, SCI recognizes the urgency of taking a clear stance against war and forming stronger alliances with like-minded peace networks. No War Anywhere! created shared learning spaces, built a unified communication strategy, and mobilized youth across Europe to imagine peaceful futures and take action.
No More War: Antimilitarism in Conversation and Action
No More War is an already established global collective connecting antimilitarist activists and educators
January – December 2025
The world is witnessing a worrying resurgence of militarism: record-high defence budgets, renewed conscription, escalating conflicts, and devastating humanitarian crises. Militarism intersects with other injustices from violent border regimes and climate catastrophe to fascism and pinkwashing — making the fight against it complex and urgent.
Young antimilitarist activists are leading the charge, yet many experience isolation, burnout, and a lack of physical communities. No More War, a global collective of antimilitarist educators and activists, seeks to change that by bringing people together in real life, empowering them to act, connect, and learn from one another.
Not Your Soldier
The Not Your Soldier study session coordinated by the No More War collective is taking place in Budapest, Hungary at the European Youth Center.
26 October – 1 November 2025
In a global context where governments are considering the return of compulsory military service and the arms race is intensifying, young people are at the forefront of the conversation — yet often excluded. SCI, No More War, and EBCO launched this study session to create an inclusive space for youth to learn about militarism, military conscription, and conscientious objection, and to take action against militarisation.
This session approaches (anti)militarism from a decolonial and queerfeminist perspective, ensuring that all voices, especially those often marginalized in militarist structures, are heard and valued.