By implementing the ten-day youth exchange programme "Make Community Not War – Közösködj, ne háborúzz!", our aim was to engage young people with a current and pressing social issue – war and the community responses to it – and, at the same time, offer them a personal, skill-building learning process. A key objective of the project was to foster the development of participants' key competencies and life skills through non-formal educational methods. Our primary goal was to strengthen the cultural and social competencies of young people. Throughout the programme, participants had the opportunity to deepen their empathy, increase their cultural sensitivity, and experience the principles of social inclusion in practice. This helped them become more open and accepting toward peers from different backgrounds while actively practising intercultural communication. Our second main objective was to introduce and practise techniques of conflict resolution and peacebuilding. We paid special attention to enabling young people to learn, through experiential exercises, how to identify, understand, and peacefully resolve conflicts. They developed competencies such as mediation, compromise-seeking, and peaceful advocacy for their interests. Our third key objective was to foster critical thinking and conscious media consumption. This was achieved through media literacy workshops, interactive film screenings, manipulation analysis, and fake news recognition exercises. These activities helped participants critically process media content, recognize emotional manipulation, and apply source criticism in everyday life. Fourth, we prioritised education for social responsibility and active citizenship. We provided space for young people to express opinions on issues affecting their communities, develop and share their own ideas about how to contribute to solving local or international social problems. We placed strong emphasis not just on voicing opinions, but on becoming active, engaged citizens. Fifth, we focused on the development of digital skills and the enhancement of technological awareness, with special attention to online safety. Participants used digital tools to create content (infographics, a shared online publication), while also raising awareness of the importance of online identity, data security, and digital footprints. Last but not least, we supported the professional development and employability of young people. We introduced the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ programme, practised writing Europass CVs, and explored future career paths together. Participants improved skills such as self-reflection, self-management, and presentation, all of which are valuable in the world of work. Beyond all this, we placed strong emphasis on enabling young people to gain experiences that also fostered their self-awareness and autonomy. Daily reflective journaling, personal story sharing, mentoring support, collaboration within national teams, and intercultural evenings all contributed to making this project a complex and enriching learning experience. Our objectives went beyond transferring knowledge related to war and social conflicts: we implemented a comprehensive skill-building and learning process that laid the foundations for responsible community engagement, supported personal development, and strengthened participants’ commitment to peaceful, inclusive, and democratic values.