By Delicious Mathuthu
The Youth for Peace Africa programme initiated by some young Africans five years ago has began bearing fruits as some governments in the continent have started mainstreaming peace & security issues for young people.
The project, which brings forth African youth aspirations, needs and wants, seeks to devise lobby strategies to influence decision making across the continent towards building peace and security, with a biased focus towards young people.
The Youth Peace and Security programme began in 2018 with some young people from five African regions coming together to push the United Nations (UN) resolution 2250 to the African Union (AU).
Speaking to Kwedu News, one of the Youth Peace and Security Ambassadors who is part of the pioneers of the initiative, based in Zimbabwe, Gweru, Tobias Saritiel, said they ensured that regional consultations are done first to represent the real views of young people in Africa with regards to peace building and security.
“As one of the Youth Peace and Security Ambassadors in Africa, in 2018 we influenced the AU youth department to initiate the youth for peace Africa programme.
“I am happy that after we had engaged them, privately, we managed to raise awareness of the UN security council resolution 2250 to the African Union.
“After they had the understanding, we then also lobbied for them to initiate the Youth for Peace Africa Programme.
“In 2019 we were also part of the organisers for the Africa Youth programme on Youth for Peace and we did five regional consultations across Africa,” he said.
In the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, the consultations were done in Botswana.
The programme scored a first in Burundi recently after a Youth National Action Plan was implemented, with Zimbabwe soon to follow.
“The platforms were there for youth to share their aspirations, their needs and wants in terms of how the African Union can shape the Youth for Peace Africa programme.
“Some of the success stories now is the case of Burundi because after the consultations, young people mobilised each other, engaged their government and now have the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security.
“Zimbabwe also is following the same step, they are going to do the same process very soon, I am sure after the elections,” Saratiel said.
The initial cohort of Youth for Peace Ambassadors consisted of a few members from the five regions in the continent but after the regional consultations, the programme then initiated Peace Ambassadors for each African region, to expand their reach.
“So we advocated for the establishment of the Youth for Peace Africa Ambassadors and now we do have them.
“Currently we have the second cohort of these Youth Ambassadors for Peace.
“Their role now is to engage young people in these five regions and when they engage them, the issues they get from young people are represented at the African Union level.
“Every decision that is now being made is now based on those issues which will be presented to the regional body by these Youth for Peace Ambassadors,” Saratiel said.
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