Empower youth to be voices of peace and transformation

Sep 21, 2018

The day is dedicated to world peace, with focus on ending war and violence that remains a threat to livelihood and human development.

OPINION

Uganda joins the rest of the world to mark the International Day of Peace, also known unofficially as the World Peace Day.

The day is dedicated to world peace, with focus on ending war and violence that remains a threat to livelihood and human development.

Young people are an important asset in any efforts to maintain global peace. Unfortunately, they form the majority of perpetrators and victims of violence world over.

The recent unrest springing from contestations in electoral politics highlights an urgent need to examine and address the underlying questions about youth involvement in violence in Uganda.

In countries experiencing armed conflict or unrest, youth are tools of violence recruited by people who are keen to use, abuse or manipulate them.

 There is, therefore, urgently needed to increase opportunities for the youth so as to keep them active in productive work, through training, apprenticeship and formal employment.

However, there are also good examples of countries where youth are voices which calls for special attention, outside the traditionally established norms.

In Myanmar, for instance, a country once held back by brutal insurgency, young people are taking a central role in mediation and reform efforts.

In Sri Lanka, where tensions violent clashes broke out between the Buddhist and Muslim communities, youth organisations from the religious and ethnic communities are turning the tide through mediation work.

Similarly, young people in Nigeria are taking on violent groups like Boko Haram through active messages on social media and in communities about peace and unity. In all the cases, the role of youth has transcended the political and social divide.

It is a well-known fact throughout epochs of world history that when youth are excluded from political, economic and social spheres, it can lead towards violence and conflict.

Never in world history has there been such huge numbers of young people. The current generation of youth is the largest ever.

Uganda has the world's youngest population with over 78% of its population below the age of 30. With just under eight million youth aged 15-30, the country also has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Uganda is not alone in quest to reorient youth towards productive activities. Globally, countries are struggling to find the best fit for young people who are active, ambitious and hungry.

Over the past decade, the UN has paid special attention to the needs and aspirations of youth in matters of peace and security.

The UN Security Council Resolution 2250 passed in 2016 recognises the need to involve youth organisations in addressing the challenges of sustaining global peace.

It also reaffirms the important role youth can play in deterring and resolving conflicts, as key constituents in ensuring the success of both peacekeeping and peace building efforts.

Young people's inclusion in the global peace and security agenda and in society is considered key to building and sustaining peace.

The Government, civil society, the private sector and partners must take practical steps for social inclusion of youth in decision-making, access to quality education and health care, provision of employment and other related opportunities.

Uganda has remained relatively stable over the past three decades and taken steps to improve representation of youth in political and social affairs.

The existing laws provide for seats for youth in leadership positions at various levels, right from Parliament to nearly all local government levels.

What remains is to translate those opportunities into potent drivers of peace in communities as the country undergoes socio-economic changes.

Youth are often the most vulnerable and affected by violent conflict globally, yet they tend to be excluded from peacebuilding efforts.

In January, we set up a skills training initiative for youth in Katwe, a suburb of Kampala which is known for both its bubble of enterprise and pockets of crime each time the sun sets.

With support from Finn Church Aid, the UMYDF Katwe Skills Centre has provided training to over 100 youth in a range of fields, and the response has been overwhelming.

What we discovered was that youth still face limited opportunities for education, training and employment. As a result, many youth have joined gangs, which has resulted in political and social instability and a rise in crime. 

We have come across scores of youth who were once lured by criminal gangs like Kifeesi, who are now learning how to do electric installation and repair, hair dressing and spa services, and video and photography.

We are keen to increase collaboration and the exchange of information with the private sector so that such initiatives can be expanded to provide short-term training to many more youth.

One of our initiatives is the Friday mentorship forums where successful business personalities share their practical journeys and tools that have uplifted them in life.

Sharing these stories and techniques provides both inspiration and knowledge about the ability to create opportunities even where they may not seem to exist.

Through vocational, life and entrepreneurship skills training sessions, we can reach more young people, expand the profile future leaders and forestall negative aspects of the youth bubble.

Enormous challenges exist in form of stigma associated with engaging young people in communities with a high crime rate but the benefits will come in the long term.

Together, we are taking on an arduous task of changing the negative attitude and mindset about work, while reversing vulnerabilities that often push youth to look for answers elsewhere.

With better programmes youth are more of a blessing, not simply a threat that needs to be contained. Young people are burning with fresh ideas. The profile of youth coming up with ground-breaking innovations in science, transport, finance or health is astounding.

One other idea is to revive and activate peace clubs in schools to nurture the culture of peace and encourage youth to think differently and be forces of innovation.

The writer is a youth policy analyst.

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