First Grant Visit after Covid-19 Lockdown – Rondine World House Program

June 29, 2021

After more than a year Isabelle Hirs, Rising Tide Senior Program Manager for Freedom in Practice,  was back on the road this June to visit one of our recent grantees: Rondine Cittadella della Pace. Rondine is situated in a Medieval Tuscan Hamlet, close to Arrezzo, and is dedicated to reducing armed conflicts around the world through its unique method of creative transformation of conflicts.

Through the Rondine World House program, young people from conflict and post-conflict countries live together in order to discover the human being in their enemy. During this time the expert staff at Rondine lead the students through their proprietary Enhancing Social Innovation in Conflict Affected Societies curriculum. Afterwards, students go home to their countries equipped with new knowledge and skills as well as a project, developed during their stay at Rondine, that will contribute to enhancing peace in conflict torn societies. The aim of the program is to empower young peacebuilders and aspiring social innovators from conflict torn countries to become agents of change. Rondine approached Rising Tide for funding to integrate a new module, in their respected peace building curriculum, that highlights the importance of individual freedom and markets in enhancing peace.

This new module resulted in a lecture series on topics such as Wellbeing & Welfare: Freedom and social inclusion by Flavio Felice, Laissez-Faire and Pacifism by Alberto Mingardi, Peace, Mutual Advantage & Trade by Tom Palmer and many more. Isabelle met with Rondine students for discussion and direct feedback on the new addition to the curriculum and experienced the unique methodology of Rondine that empowers and equips young leaders to enhance peace and build prosperity in their home countries.

You can find more information about this grant here