Flags For Peace

Aim

Shambala Festival is raising funds for Peace Direct. Donate £5 or more and you could win the first 2 tickets to Shambala 2023!

UPDATE: Thank you to everybody who entered the prize draw to win the last 2 tickets to Shambala 2022! Our winner will be notified by email today (Friday 12th August) so keep your eyes on your inboxes.

WIN THE FIRST TWO TICKETS TO SHAMBALA 2023: Donate £5 or more between 12th August and September 7th and you will be entered into a prize draw to win the FIRST 2 adult tickets to next years' Shambala.

Over the past 5 years, Shambala’s ‘Flags For…’ campaigns have raised over £33,000 for incredible causes. This year, we’re raising funds for Peace Direct, an incredible charity working with local people to stop war and build lasting peace in some of the world’s most fragile countries.

Every day we hear stories of war and violence, and deadly conflict tears across communities around the world, from Paris to Peshawar. Peace Direct’s work has never been more urgent.

HOW FLAGS FOR PEACE WORKS…

For every donation received, Shambala will fly a string of prayer flags on the Shambala Stage. This will create a striking and beautiful symbol of our support and prayers for those who have had their lives devastated through war and violence.

If you donate £5 or more before midnight on the 11th August 2022, you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win THE LAST TWO ADULT TICKETS TICKETS to Shambala 2022! We’ll contact the winner by email on 12th August 2022.

100% of your sponsorship money will go directly to Peace Direct

Shambala Festival will cover all the costs of buying, transporting and flying the flags – as well as donating £1,000 to the campaign.

ABOUT PEACE DIRECT

Led by local people, Peace Direct tackles the causes of violence at the root, and supports communities to rebuild lives after war has torn them apart. They are dedicated to making peace a practical option, ensuring local people have the skills and resources to make it a reality. Peace is not sustainable if imposed from the outside.

In the past 15 years, they have supported local peacebuilders in over 25 countries around the world. With their local partners, they have saved lives, provided paths out of violence and built better futures. As an independent organisation funded by people like you, they can direct money and support quickly and urgently to where it is most needed.

Here’s just a few examples of the impact Peace Direct had, in 2021 alone...

• In Syria, where war continues to devastate lives, our partners provided urgent and critical protection to Syrian young people, to provide them with trauma healing and to support those displaced by war. Hundreds of children were also supported to go back to school. 
• Following the exit of most INGOs from Afghanistan, as the Taliban took hold in August 2021, Peace Direct established a new partnership to provide safety and support to some of the most vulnerable people across a number of communities - especially women and girls.
• In the Democratic Republic of Congo, they worked with local partners to monitor and prevent violence, saving hundreds of lives. Groups of young people were supported to find their own routes to peace, and communities developed opportunities for more people to earn and learn, providing alternatives to joining armed groups.
• In Myanmar, life has become increasingly difficult since a military coup in August 2021. Peace Direct has worked with local partners to tackle hate speech and monitor disinformation. They also work on interfaith inclusion and resolving conflicts caused by natural resources.

NOUR'S STORY

“I hope all the camps disappear soon, and the people no longer suffer.”

Nour is 12 years old. The conflict in Syria changed her life forever. She lost her father in the war and was displaced from her home. Nour was unable to attend school, which made her feel lonely and sad.

But then Peace Direct's partner, Sawaad’na, came into her life. They encouraged Nour to study at their local learning centre. They taught her to read and write. She says that “After learning to read, I keep finding myself between books!”.

Following a year of study, she passed her exams. She is now in formal education, and is looking forward to the future.“I dream of being a doctor and treating sick people for free!” she told Peace Direct recently.

Thousands of children like Nour have been displaced and miss out on school because of war. We thank Sawaad’na, and all of Peace Direct’s local partners, for helping children living in conflict realise their dreams.

HOW YOU CAN HELP SURVIVORS LIKE NOUR TODAY...

We are asking you, the wonderful people of Shambala, to be there for survivors of war and conflict around the world today. 

• £5 could help a young person in Nigeria attend their local Peace Club, beginning the process of breaking down barriers and building bridges between communities there. 
• £10 would enable a survivor of gender based violence in Zimbabwe to attend a series of counselling sessions, helping them overcome past traumas and begin the process of healing.
• £25 could pay for a young person to take part in a month-long peacebuilding training in Pakistan - the impact of which will be felt for generations to come.
• £50 would be enough to provide a former child soldier in DR Congo with food, clothing and shelter as they transition out of a life of violence and back into community and family life.

Dig deep, Shambala - together we can change lives! x

This project successfully funded on 8th September 2022