For generations, a village in Myanmar had been split in two, following religious differences, old disputes and years of mistrust. The hostility had hardened into something that felt fixed and elders on both sides forbade contact. Young people grew up without ever making friends across the divide.

The first step to reconciliation came during the Covid-19 pandemic, when youth volunteers from one area setting up a Covid centre were joined by two young people from the other area.

Local peacebuilders built on that small shift. They launched a project raising awareness around gender-based violence, deliberately bringing residents from both areas into the same training sessions. On the first day, the young people sat apart. Through games, group work and shared activities, that began to change. By the second day, they were visibly more relaxed in each other's company.

From there, things developed gradually. Young people started visiting each other's homes, playing volleyball together, and organising monthly bonfires. Seeing this, the elders began greeting each other in the street and encouraging their young people to join community events together.

This was a quiet, yet durable outcome. Young people were spending time together until the divide simply mattered less than it once had.

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