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Peace is what we build together every day. Across the globe, young people and allies from all walks of life are stepping up and calling for peace in their homes, communities and everyday lives. They are showing that peace isn't a distant goal, nor simply the absence of war; it's active, urgent and inclusive. It is the presence of justice, dignity, opportunity and safety, shared by everyone across society, from our workplaces and universities to our online spaces. And it often begins with our daily choices.

A new year is a fresh chance to shape the kind of world we want to live in. This is your invitation to rise up, join that momentum and #ActNowForPeace. Here are 10 actions you can take to spark meaningful, lasting change.

1. Lead with listening

Peace begins when we choose to listen to people with different experiences, perspectives and realities. Make space to hear the voices of communities most affected by conflict, exclusion or injustice, including young people whose insights and leadership are often overlooked. Listening to first-person stories helps ground peace in real lives and lived realities. Listen with openness, without rushing to respond or fix. When people feel genuinely heard, trust grows, dialogue deepens and more inclusive, lasting solutions become possible.

Start here: Read first-person reflections from young people living in crisis and conflict.

2. Educate yourself and your circle about peace

Knowledge is power. The more we understand what drives injustice and division, the more power we have to challenge it. Understanding what truly shapes peace is the first step. It is not the absence of war. It includes human rights, gender equality, climate justice, digital safety, refugee journeys and more. The more we understand what drives injustice and division, the more power we have to challenge it. Take time to explore different perspectives, challenge assumptions and learn how these issues are connected. Start a club at your school, university or work place focussed on peace education. Share what you learn to keep conversations going and help others see peace as something that touches everyday life.

Dive deeper: Explore UN explainers that unpack peace and security issues from the Race to Save Space to military spending today.

3. Speak up from your inner circles to the ballot box

Listening builds understanding. Speaking up turns it into action. Even one voice at the right moment can interrupt harm and protect dignity. Whether online or offline, challenge discriminatory narratives and report any form of harassment or violence in your workplace, school or community to the proper authorities and channels. Support survivors by helping them access safe, confidential, trusted services.

Speaking up does not stop at home, school or work. It also means engaging those in positions of power and decision-making. Write, speak and make your voice heard by your elected leaders and local and national representatives. Urge them to build peace not war by investing in policies that protect people's rights and dignity, and helping build safer, more just communities where everyone can thrive. Take your vote to the ballot box, and encourage others to do the same. When voices rise together, they become harder to dismiss.

Where to begin: Get to know the young people and grassroots youth organizations speaking up for change.

4. Make space for different perspectives

Peace grows when people feel able to participate and be heard. Actively make room for differences in conversations and spaces where priorities are set. Invite people whose viewpoints are missing, and reach out to those who may feel excluded so they know they are valued. Learn from the histories and lived experiences of women and girls, young people, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, migrants, refugees and other marginalized communities, and bring people together across generational, cultural and social divides. When different perspectives can coexist, connect and contribute, foundations for lasting peace become stronger.

5. Be an ally

Inclusive allyship starts with standing in solidarity with marginalized groups. This includes backing their calls for justice and equality and ensuring that everything from workplace policies to peace efforts reflect their diverse lived realities.

Allyship also means actively investing in, including, funding and partnering with young people, working for peace. Today, with half of the world's population under 30, young people have the greatest stake in the future being shaped now. When young people are empowered to lead, peacebuilding becomes more responsive and grounded in lived realities. You have the power to pave the way: support youth-led initiatives, councils and organizations working for peace locally and globally; create space for youth voices in rooms where decisions are made, so they are partners, not participants; and advocate for their meaningful inclusion in decision-making spaces. Allies also help remove barriers that limit youth leadership, including lack of access, funding, resources or trust.

Young people are not just future leaders. They are leaders now.

Get inspired: Discover how young people and communities are putting allyship into practice.

6. Give your time and money where it matters most

Peace is built locally in how you spend your money and use your time. Use your purchasing power responsibly by choosing retailers that do not fund war and avoid products linked to corporations involved in conflict. Spend your time by giving to a cause: support refugees, migrants and displaced families as they rebuild their lives and begin to feel at home. Volunteer with domestic violence shelters or youth safety programmes, and be there for people when they need it most.

Also consider joining mental health initiatives, interfaith groups who undertake mediation, or community-led environmental projects such as climate clean-ups that bring people together around shared challenges and help reduce the pressures that can fuel inequality, displacement and conflict.

Peace is not one issue. It's woven through how we give care across our entire society.

7. Know your rights and help others know theirs

Peace depends on people understanding their rights and how to protect them. Learn about human rights, civic rights and the protections available in your context. Share this knowledge with others, and help people access support when rights are violated. Speak up when rights are ignored, and support efforts that promote accountability and equal access to justice.

If you have legal knowledge and experience, consider volunteering your expertise to support affordable access to justice in your community. When communities are informed, they are better equipped to demand accountability and build fairer systems.

Did you know? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the ºÚÁÏרÇø in 1948, in the aftermath of World War II, and sets out the fundamental rights and freedoms that apply to everyone, everywhere.

8. Challenge the spread of false information

Mis- and disinformation spreads quickly, and can fuel fear, division and violence. In a crowded information landscape, protecting peace starts with slowing down. Before you share, take a moment to fact-check where your information is coming from, what evidence supports it and what may be missing. Verify images and look for multiple credible sources, especially as AI can make false content harder to spot.

If something seems designed to provoke anger or outrage, pause before reacting or reposting and use platform tools to report misleading posts. Offer clarity and share trusted sources when false information comes up in conversations. Every informed choice you make helps others feel safer and brings peace one step closer.

Behind the words: How hate speech and false information can cause real-world harm and why addressing them matters for peace.

9. Use your voice and platforms for change

Peace starts with all of us. When people participate peacefully, creatively and collectively, societies are better equipped to address conflict through dialogue, accountability and non-violent action.

You can be a voice for change: Take part in lawful demonstrations, community consultations or local decision-making processes where voices can shape outcomes. Vote where possible and encourage others to do the same. Use your platforms to promote peace advocates, changemakers and the stories of others. Share your voice through the media by writing op-eds or commentaries in school magazines, university publications, community newspapers or national outlets, to spark conversation. Feeling creative? Support campaigns (or create your own) through art, writing or music and imagine what peace means to you and your community.

Spread the word: on what peace means to young people around the world, and add your voice using #ActNowForPeace.

10. Host a peace circle

Peace is not something done to or for young people. It must be built with them. Around the world, young people and their allies are coming together around Peace Circles: intergenerational dialogues with youth at the center to co-create solutions for a more peaceful future as part of the UN's Hear Us. Act Now for a Peaceful World campaign.

Join the movement! Host a Peace Circle in your community. They can be any size and happen anywhere your community feels ready to connect, listen and imagine solutions together: in classrooms and universities, caf¨¦s and community spaces, youth hubs, online forums, podcasts or radio conversations and more. Using the collaborative, "How might we¡­" thinking, you can explore issues that shape peace today from the economy to gender equality to youth in political life.

Get started: .

For more inspiration and updates, sign-up for our #ActNowForPeace campaign newsletter.