News from our Global Network

Sweden is a country of extraordinary contrasts. Endless forests and 95,000 lakes. Archipelagos of 220,000 islands. Midsummer evenings that never quite turn to night. A city of 14 islands that calls itself the Venice of the North. A culture shaped by Viking heritage, Lutheran pragmatism, and a quiet but fierce commitment to equality, design, and the art of taking a coffee break seriously.

In several democracies in recent years, a growing political tendency has treated culture – particularly minority culture, indigenous culture, and the cultures of newcomers – as a threat to be managed rather than a resource to be valued. The argument, roughly, is that cultural diversity weakens cohesion; that shared identity requires cultural uniformity.

People to People International is delighted to share an exciting update from one of our young leaders. Many in the PTPI family will remember Blinera Gashi, whom they met at the PTPI conference in Skopje, North Macedonia.

The US spends hundreds of billions every year teaching children how to read, write and calculate. But what about kindness? In some places, kindness is now a subject in school — and a remarkable free programme is making it possible for educators everywhere.

On 20 May 2026, Eesti People to People International participated in the international webinar “Together Against Disinformation & Propaganda”, delivered as part of the Erasmus+ project “Combating Online Misinformation to Prevent Radicalisation of Vulnerable Adults.”

The European Commission has just completed a landmark citizens’ consultation on crisis preparedness. 150 randomly selected people from across the EU spent three months developing 20 recommendations to help Europe respond better to emergencies.

Evidence increasingly shows that short-term real-world exposure during high school does more than complement academic learning — it builds the human capabilities that employers and communities need most, and that no curriculum alone can deliver.