In our own words

"I was inspired in many ways by the Nkabom experience and I would relive it if I could. I now see conflict in a different way, a positive way. I now know that it is possible to have peace regardless of how hopeless the situation looks."

"I'm keen to give up most of my life to Nkabom, as it was the most amazing experience IN MY LIFE!"

"Nkabom will always have my support and commitment any day, anytime". Since Nkabom, Olalekan has been developing his own peacebuilding experience, by leading a network of similarly passionate young people: "we are currently working on a peace project that seeks to educate secondary school students on peace building".

Olalekan strongly believes in the role of young people in our changing world, hence the title of a model United Nations conference he has arranged for tertiary students in south west Nigeria: "A World Without War, The Role Of Young People".

"As a youth, I believe the future of the world I live in is in my hands and so I work passionately for the promotion of a peaceful and better world. I help in mobilizing, inspiring and empowering young people to be catalysts for change starting from our immediate communities. I seek to challenge young people to be contributing members of their communities, to show that we have the power to 'be the dream' and make the world a better place".

"Nkabom was the single most influential factor in a series of big changes in my life and there's no way I'm giving it up".

Rosie is currently working in the world of advocacy and empowerment, building up an experience base before leaving her hometown of Perth. Her experience at Nkabom really gave her a taste for travelling and meeting new people, as well as changing the "way I look at and interact with the world". She is eager to pass on the news, so as to "help others have the same experience".

However, Nkabom has not just helped Rosie to further her work, as she says, "Nkabom definitely changed my life". She now sees things from a whole different perspective, and although this may sound daunting, she feels that Nkabom "has inspired me to change things about my life that I previously took for granted, like ambitions, hopes and aspirations".

"I want to begin by stating that my time in Cyprus in September of this year was one of the best experiences of my life. I want to thank all of the sponsors for providing me with this once in a life time opportunity."

Richard felt that his Nkabom experience "really taught me the simple benefits of communication which can inevitably lead to big change and real progress. It also opened my eyes to the world around me, the remarkable, decent and endearing people that live in it and the dangers of adopting selfish and isolationist tendencies; not just as individuals, but as societies in general".

In his opinion, Nkabom was a way of breaking down barriers, "barriers to trust, barriers to tolerance, barriers to fairness and justice, and barriers to change!"

Following up her experiences at Nkabom, Swati was motivated to attend a Commonwealth Youth Programme workshop on conflict resolution in her home country. Here she continued to develop her knowledge and practice of peace building activities.

This continuation since Nkabom is something she hopes all her fellow delegates have become involved in, in their respective countries; "it's great that some people have been enthusiastic about getting these projects underway".

"Nkabom was a life-changing experience for me, and I feel honoured to have taken part".

Daisy is currently applying to do a postgraduate in Global Security, or Conflict Resolution, that has been spurred on by her involvement in Nkabom. She hopes to further her knowledge in peace building skills, "in order to help wherever necessary, including my home country as it has a large problem with illegal immigrants".

The enthusiasm Daisy has shown in her involvement with such activities is thanks to the amazing time she spent at Nkabom, which she felt "extremely inspired" her.

Andrew was deeply influenced by his Nkabom experience, leading him to think over many aspects of conflict, and peace building; "my understanding and vision towards conflict was enhanced with the fact that a conflict in a country like Vanuatu or Australia may not be seriously considered by people in India or Sri Lanka as a conflict. And when you discuss the solution to conflicts in Vanuatu, these solutions may not be relevant or applicable in Sri Lanka. Therefore, we all have to be aware that our discussions need to address global issue".