The “European Summer School: Together for Peace” is a one-week youth exchange that brings together young people from Ukraine and Germany. It is a joint project by the Ukrainian NGO “Institute for Peace and Common Ground”, and the German NGO “Forum Ziviler Friedensdienst e.V.”. The project builds bridges between the EU and young people in order to foster a sense of belonging to the European Project and strengthen youth participation in EU politics. The Summer School wants to extend young people’s understanding of modern EU policy making, encourage them to get actively involved, and equip them with the necessary competencies to do so. Moreover, the youth exchange provides an opportunity for young participants from Ukraine and Germany to share their individual experiences with political activism, get to know new perspectives, and discuss their thoughts and ideas for the future of Europe. Thus, the project is directly linked to the objectives of the EU Youth Strategy: engage, connect, empower. Three questions are at the centre of the Summer School: What can the EU do to promote peace through its external action and development policy? How can peace activists advocate for their issues on the European level? And how can young people get involved? With regard to these questions, the exchange between youth from Ukraine and Germany is particularly relevant. Through its external action and development policy, the European Union has a direct impact on the internal policies in its partner countries, such as Ukraine, who is a member of the Eastern Partnership. European citizens, including youth, can influence the EU’s policy by casting their ballot in the European elections (and through political activism). Young Ukrainians do not possess this power. This may lead to a feeling of being ‘left out’ of the decision-making process, and render it more difficult to create a sense of belonging to the European project. However, getting involved in European politics is not always easy, especially for young EU citizens. The Summer School addresses these issues by connecting young Germans and Ukrainians and showing them pathways for political engagement. Young Germans have not experienced war on German soil in their lifetime. Young Ukrainians, on the other hand, are directly affected by the on-going violence that has deeply polarised the society in their home country. With regard to the European Union, both German and Ukrainian youth have an overwhelmingly positive opinion: According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Centre in October 2019, 75% of young Germans (ages 18 to 34) have a favourable opinion of the EU. Among their Ukrainian peers, the approval rating is even higher with 90% of respondents in this age group claiming to have a positive perception of the EU. However, previous studies have shown that despite the EU’s overwhelming popularity amongst young Ukrainians, their trust in Europe is low. A nationwide poll conducted in 2017 found that only a third of young Ukrainians (29%) trust the EU. The study explained that this lack of trust is partially based on the belief that Ukraine is not wanted in the EU, and membership is considered a dream more than an achievable goal. By bringing together young Germans and Ukrainians, the Summer School thus invites young participants with very different experiences to discuss their ideas, get to know different points of view – but also find out about shared values and interests. Political activism and engagement for peace can be one way of jointly shaping the future of Europe. Thus, the motto of the European Summer School is: “Together for Peace!”