Upon the request of the African Union Youth for Peace Programme, ACCORD conducted a training for the first cohort of the Network of African Youth in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (WiseYouth Network) on Preventive Diplomacy, Mediation, and Dialogue from 30 September to 3 October 2024 at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The WiseYouth Network – a subsidiary mechanism of the Panel of the Wise – was established to promote the role of the youth in preventive diplomacy, mediation, and dialogue across the continent. The training workshop focused on building the mediation and diplomacy skills of the Network to better support AU’s peace-making efforts on the African continent.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, emphasized the importance of the network in amplifying the voice of the youth in AU peace processes. Dr Akok Manyuat Madut, Head of the Mediation and Dialogue Division at the African Union, encouraged the network members to continue their learning journey to better represent youth in the peacebuilding efforts across the continent.
The network, comprising twenty members from the five African regions, shared their experiences in mediation within their respective countries. They also learned from practitioners involved in various mediation processes in African conflicts, who demonstrated the practical application of mediation at the local level with international implications.
The members expressed their gratitude to ACCORD for the practical training, which was tailored to their experiences and helped them to better advocate for youth across the continent. This training aligns with ACCORD’s objective of enhancing the role of youth and institutional responses of the AU to prevent, mitigate, and resolve complex conflicts.
