In 1997 just after the Peace Accords were signed, ending Guatemala's 36 year civil war, Fotokids initiated a project to bring together children from areas that had been strongly affected by the violence. Called, The project to create youth leadership and strengthen democratic values in areas affected by the violence lasted six years and was supported in part by the Soros Foundation and the Reuters Foundation.

The program created links of understanding and compassion by bringing together children affected by the violence and massacres. Students from the City, Santiago Atitlán y Santa Maria Tzejá Ixcán examined the conflict through extensive interviews with massacre survivors and produced written testimonies of their flight, life in Mexican refugee camps, (or of the 12 years of hiding in the mountains) and subsequent problems of return to Guatemala. The students produced photo illustrations and created videos, leaving a personal powerful legacy for future generations.