Strong partnerships and coordination are critical components in moving beyond just popularizing the Continental Framework for Youth Peace and Security (CFYPS). Accordingly, ACCORD and its Training for Peace Programme, in collaboration with the African Union (AU) Youth for Peace (Africa) Programme, co-hosted an Inter-Generational Dialogue (IGD) on 5 November 2021, to help unpack the CFYPS priority of ‘partnerships and coordination’. This online discussion formed part of a series of dialogues that continue to unpack the CFYPS and its priorities as a means of facilitating the effective and meaningful involvement of youth in all spectrums of governance, peace, and security.
Ms Savannah Wilmot, Program Officer at ACCORD, and Dr Rhuks Ako, Senior Analyst within the Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department of the African Union Commission (AUC), moderated the session, which brought together a panel of five speakers with diverse backgrounds and experiences on the continent. The speakers included, Ms. Adwoa Kufor, Regional Gender Advisor at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights; Ms. Stella Sabiiti, former United Nations (UN) Women Advisor to the AU; Mr. Christopher Oyinlola, Technical Advisor on Conflict Prevention at the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) in the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations Programme; Mr. Jule Hoareau, Information Manager at the Eastern Africa Standby Force; and Dr. Muneinazvo Kujeke, Research Officer at the Institute for Security Studies.
Three key words that surfaced during the panel discussion included OWNERSHIP, PASSION, and INCLUSION. Drawing from experiences within the Women, Peace and Security agenda, panellists argued that youth should be given increased ownership of the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda by increasing both decision-making and agenda-setting power and by working side by side with relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, as stated by Ms Sabiiti, “passion is a strong ingredient that drives everything and will allow for the YPS agenda to move forward with stronger partnerships and coordination”. Even though institutions at all levels are working towards improving youth participation in decision-making processes, the challenge is not to find a group of motivated young people, but to access youth voices that are not being heard. Partnerships and coordination would be a key tenet through which youth inclusion and YPS momentum can be built.
This virtual dialogue was premised on the identification of youth as a key constituency in building local and national capacities for peace. ACCORD’s aim to increase the role of youth in peace processes, as youth are key innovators and change agents who can effectively contribute to peacebuilding
The IGD took place virtually via Zoom, and the live recording can be accessed via ACCORD’s Facebook page. The final dialogue in this series unpacked ‘disengagement and reintegration’ on 3 December 2021, as the last overarching priority identified by the CFYPS. Click here to view the live stream »
