The EUPeace student club at Comillas presents the Rector with the Sarajevo Peace Declaration

The meeting was held on the Cantoblanco campus and was attended by Antonio Allende, SJ, Rector of Comillas; Elisa Aracil, Vice-Rector for Strategy, Internationalisation and Academic Structuring; teaching and research staff, and administration and services staff involved in the EUPeace alliance. The aim of the event was to recognise the central role of the student body in the functioning of the EUPeace alliance. 

The rector thanked the work of all the teams at EUPeace and highlighted its significance: "peace is something we all aspire to and it is also something we know is very fragile". Allende also stressed that initiatives like this reflect "what the university wants to be" and the impact that students can have on society.

For her part, Elisa Aracil, recalled that the participation of Comillas in the EUPeace alliance responds to the social vocation of the university and its internationalisation: "it could not be more in line with what we are and with what we want our graduates to share". She also highlighted the exceptional transversality of the project, which connects students, faculty and staff from all faculties.

The students played a leading role in the event. Adriana Pacios, co-founder of the EUPeace student club at Comillas, explained how this group has been consolidating in its first year of life, growing in participation and taking on responsibilities within the student bodies of the alliance. He highlighted the effort involved in joining a European project of this scale and emphasised the club's desire to continue promoting initiatives related to peace, justice and social inclusion.

Next, Nicolás del Río, student of International Relations, explained that student participation in the signing reflects the commitment of the new generations to coexistence, reconstruction and the defence of democratic values, especially in a historical context such as that of Sarajevo.

Students Claudia Martínez and Inés Mouvet read out the main articles of the Declaration, which focus on human dignity, academic freedom, cultural diversity, the rejection of violence and the active role of students in building inclusive societies. After the reading, they formally handed over the document to the rector and vice-rector in recognition of the institutional support received.

What is the Student's Peace Declaration?

In September 2025, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Accords, a historic meeting was held in Sarajevo at the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where students from more than 100 European universities signed the Student's Peace Declaration. This document, initiated by the University of Sarajevo and EUPeace, reaffirms the role of young people as active agents in building peace, cooperation and democratic resilience in Europe.

The ceremony included a symbolic act: a ride through the city, which has become an emblem of resilience and reconciliation, recalling the importance of keeping the spirit of peace alive. The Declaration will serve as a platform for dialogue with European institutions, governments and international organisations, placing students at the centre of promoting peace and social justice. More information on this event can be found here.

Still don't know what EUPeace is? You can listen to the podcast "1, 2, 3, Comillas" that we did talking about the alliance here. You can also see more pictures of the event here.