Funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), this project aimed to support the practical implementation of the United Nations’ Agenda on Youth Peace and Security (YPS), mainly by supporting and “working with” existing youth-led initiatives that engage in peacebuilding activities in their respective communities. The Ivorian youth is commonly perceived as a key actor of political violence, being the victims of political instrumentalization and violent mobilization, especially in electoral contexts. To change this limiting perception and to highlight youth’s commitment to, and potential for peace, the project recognized and strengthened youth leadership in the prevention of political violence. In this sense, the project did not perceive young men and young women as mere “beneficiaries” but as active participants, responsible for the design and the implementation of key components of the present project.  The youth groups/associations targeted by the project thus carried out a Participatory Action Research (PAR) on the role of youth in political violence themselves, with our support. On the basis of the research results, they designed new political violence prevention actions, also building on the new skills they will acquire during the project, through capacity-building activities;  they had the opportunity to apply to, and manage micro grants; and they developed and implemented advocacy and communication campaigns based on the project’s results. At the end, the project has reinforced the capacities of the selected youth to make their initiatives on violence prevention and social cohesion more strategic, efficient, impactful, inclusive and sustainable.

The project’s approach also aimed to foster constructive dialogue between young people and the elderly, political decision makers and other key actors in the peacebuilding field. To that end, a mentorship program enhanced the collaboration, exchange of experiences and transfer of knowledge and capacities between the targeted youth and adults/resource persons of their communities. To further address the problem of youth exclusion from decision-making in the field of peace and security, the project created bridges between young leaders and key actors in the peacebuilding area, and reinforced the youth’s voice and contributions on youth, peace and security issues. This project was implemented by Interpeace and its local partner Indigo Côte d’Ivoire in Abobo and Youpougon, two Communes of Abidjan renowned for their vulnerability to political violence.

Read the new publication, Putting the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda into practice: Youth as peace agents in Côte d’Ivoire: here