A new initiative in Dominica is helping to build stronger connections across generations and cultures through storytelling, dialogue, and peer engagement.

The project is being led by Natasha Yeeloy-Labad, a Young Leader in the Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme. Through the initiative, students and young people from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to share their experiences, explore their identities, and foster greater understanding and inclusion within their communities.

One example highlighted involved a student from Guadeloupe who initially faced communication challenges due to language differences. Through interactive group activities, storytelling, games, and cultural exchanges, students were able to connect and better understand one another despite the language barrier.

The programme responds to increasing diversity in Dominica as more people move across the Caribbean for education, employment, and new opportunities. Schools and communities are becoming more multicultural, bringing together students from rural and urban communities, indigenous groups, migrant families, and the diaspora.

The initiative uses storytelling as a tool for intercultural dialogue and peacebuilding. Participants are encouraged to share personal stories about inclusion, exclusion, identity, and coexistence in safe and supportive environments.

Beyond schools, the project also brings together children from migrant backgrounds, including Nigeria and Haiti, alongside Dominican children in community-based dialogue sessions. Older youth and community members are also involved, creating an intergenerational approach focused on understanding, respect, and conflict resolution.

Future activities will include peacebuilding workshops, intercultural exchanges, peer meetups, and school engagement sessions aimed at helping young people strengthen relationships and apply these lessons in everyday life.