Exchange for Change is a peace initiative by the Citizens Archive of Pakistan in which Indian and Pakistani schoolchildren exchange written communication directly, in an effort to raise understanding of each other’s countries, negate hateful stereotypes, emphasize shared cultural heritage, and bring peace to a hostile region.

Whatever their disagreements, the one thing that unites the people of these two countries is their passion for cricket. To raise awareness of Exchange for Change, we planned a cricket game to be played between the two countries—literally on the dividing line itself. At a border where heavily armed guards stare at each other every day, imagine their pleasant surprise when they saw something unprecedented: a few children had suddenly taken over the No Man’s Land area and started playing cricket.

The campaign helped increase funding for the program by an incredible 94% and doubled student enrolment, which has now become the largest Track-2 diplomacy effort between the two countries and the largest oral history program of its kind in the world.

Besides generating tremendous awareness through earned and social media, the campaign was brought up by members of the Cabinet of India and in the Interior Ministry of Pakistan. It helped us increase funding by an incredible 94% and doubled student enrollment in the program. Currently, 5000 students are part of Exchange for Change, which has now become the largest Track-2 Diplomacy effort between the two traditionally hostile countries, and the largest oral history program in the world.

However, the long term change in behaviour is what is paramount: we’ve influenced an entire new generation to believe that peace is possible.