Around 120 Year 9, 10 and 11 students from six Sydney high schools took part in the inaugural Peacemakers Simulation Workshop at Macquarie University on 21 September 2026, navigating real-world conflict scenarios based on Papua New Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Hosted by the School of International Studies in partnership with the Centre for Armed Violence Reduction (CAVR), the workshop placed students in the role of decision-makers in complex international situations, requiring them to:

• negotiate competing interests
• respond under pressure to rapidly evolving circumstances.

Throughout the day, academic staff and CAVR facilitators:

• worked directly with student groups
• provided context for each scenario
• guided participants through the realities of peacekeeping and conflict resolution.

The simulations drew on CAVR's expertise in armed violence and conflict dynamics, giving students direct access to practitioners working at the intersection of policy and international security.

Teacher responses

Teachers from participating schools reported high student engagement during the day, with several schools already expressing interest in attending again next year.

"In a period of global uncertainty, the Peacemakers Simulation is an excellent opportunity for young people to develop a sense of agency by applying interpersonal and conflict resolution skills to real-life scenarios. It was a wonderful chance for students from a variety of schools to work together as a broader educational community."

"I was so pleased with this day. It felt as though you had been running this event for years. I have already set up teachers to bring another group of students the next time you run it. The teachers and other students are keen to participate. I really loved that everything you put into the information flyer was actually done – developing collaboration skills, working co-operatively, developing communication skills, analysing real-life crises."

Next steps

The event marks the beginning of a broader Peacemaker initiative, which the School of International Studies and CAVR plan to develop further, including remote simulation resources and an annual certificate event for Junior Peacemakers.

New events are planned for 2027.