BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
In every effort exerted to sustain lasting peace promote development; the role the young people can play is immense. Being the backbone of any nation, this segment of the society plays a very crucial role in terms of ensuring peace and security matters, safeguarding the society, accelerating socioeconomic development and transforming the country through increasing the capacity for creativity, inspiring innovation, stimulating problem solving skills.
However, to successfully achieve the aforesaid ends, it is a must for governments to capitalize on the potential of the young people, nurture and upgrade their skills to develop decision-making experience and increase their participation on the whole affairs of their country.
In this regard, countries through devising various approaches, are applying various energies joining hands with the youth community to achieve the aspired goal – to attain peace, stability and development because their countries’ future lies in the hands of its young generation.
When we come to Africa, the reality becomes bold and requires great attention because the content is home for young people.
Needless to say, Africa has the youngest population in the world with more than 400 million young people aged between the ages of 15 to 35 years. Such a youthful population calls for an increase of investment in economic and social development factors, in order to improve the development index of African nations.
Aya Chebbi, the African Union Youth Envoy once underscored the role of youth in some of the flagship projects of the African Union; and the need for the continent to harness the demographic dividend of the greatest asset, the youth.
Skilled and educated youth has a great return in building lasting peace. In the African context, the role of the youth is simply to renew, refresh and maintain the values and vision of the Agenda Africa 2063. Through these efforts and agenda protocols the youth people have to take part and play a leading role to renew and refresh the current status of societies including leadership, innovations, skills etc. In return, the youths are expected to advance the current technology, education, politics, and peace of the country.
A well-shaped and built youth can help in fastening social fabric, especially in war and conflict prone areas; they can ensure meaningful and effective participation in peace building from within.
Recently, a conference, the 2022 African Youth for Peace Program Conference that deliberates Africa’s youth role in peace building was held here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia under the theme “Protecting Environment and Promoting Peace.”
In her remark, Ethiopia’s Women and Social Affairs Minister Ergoge Tesfaye called on African youth to contribute their share to the endeavors of peace-building across the continent.
The Minister said on the occasion that Africa, with 75 percent of the population under the age of 35, is appropriate to exploit the potential for ensuring lasting peace in every corner of the continent.
Despite challenges of unemployment, corruption, entrenched political leadership, and political violence, many African youth has been seeking constructive avenues to promote peace, effective governance, and reform, the Minister added.
Any Peace building initiative will not bear fruit unless it includes the participation of the youth, Ergoge stressed.
According to her, Ethiopia is working to play its own role by mobilizing the people of the continent for common wellbeing.
She also pointed out that a system is being set up for the youth of Ethiopia in order to be part of the peace-building activities; and benefit them from development activities carried out in the country.
State Minister for Defense, Martha Liwiji also said that Ethiopia has played a significant role in maintaining peace in various countries under the auspices of the United Nations and the African Union since 1951.
She noted that Ethiopia is currently participating in the African Union’s peacekeeping missions in various countries of the continent.
The youth should contribute their share to ensure peace in Africa, Martha underlined.
Brigadier General Kabisa Domitien, Head of Peace Operations Department of East Africa Standby Force on his part said that the role of youth is tremendous to realize the aspiration that inspired “Silencing the Guns in Africa” Agenda, a flagship initiative of the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063, that strives to end all wars, conflict and gender-based violence, and to prevent genocide.
He further called on the African youth to join hands, stand up for peace and get the continent out of the vicious circle of war and conflict.
In addition to peace-building, the forum also deliberated on green development, it was learned.
The 2022 African Youth for Peace Program conference that was jointly organized by Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, Ministry of Defense, and the East African Standby Force has brought together youth from over 10 countries, including Ethiopia.
Participants of the East African Youth Peace building and Environmental Consultative Forum planted seedlings at the premises of the Gulele Botanical Garden and marked their fingerprint in Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative.
The tree plantation program was attended by leadership of the East African Standby Force, representatives of the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), civil society, youth, members of scouts and invited guests.
The role of youth in promoting peace and security in Africa is expressed via Article 17 of the AYC. Pursuant to this and other normative frameworks on youth, peace and security (YPS), including the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250, the AU Peace and Security Department launched the Youth for Peace Africa Program in 2018 with the primary objective and responsibility of mainstreaming African youth into peace and security.
The core mandates of the Program derived from consultations with youth and their networks as well as Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Mechanisms (RMs) include: to finalize a continental framework on YPS to facilitate the meaningful participation of youth in all spheres of peace and security. It also proposes to change the predominantly negative and false narrative that ‘youth’ is synonymous with trouble; build youth capacity and optimize their contributions to peace and security; and, publicize the positive roles and contributions of youth to peace and security on the continent.
The Ethiopian Herald 17 July 2022
