MONROVIA – The Executive Director of Looking Into The Future (LIFT Liberia), A. Mohammed A. Foboi has urged the African Union through its Youth Division and Peace and Security Council to reach hard-to-reach and disadvantaged youth when implementing youth related projects and programs if they are to make any impacts in the lives of African youth.
The Liberian youth peacebuilder who is also Regional Coordinator of West and Central Africa for the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY Peacebuilders) based in the Hague, the Netherlands, noted that many AU funded projects especially research related ones target only those living in urban areas and youth that are accessible through universities and youth groups, leaving out the voices of youth in rural communities, underprivileged and disadvantaged youth. He called on the AU to work actively with youth-led and youth-oriented organizations within countries while developing and implementing youth related projects within member states through a holistic participatory planning and inclusive implementation approach.
Mohammed made the statement on December 12, 2018 during his opening remarks at the methodological workshop at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to produce a Study on Youth Contribution to Peace and Security in Africa.
Mohammed was invited by the AU Peace and Security Council through its Youth Department along with 29 other youth peacebuilders and experts in Africa to help develop a structural methodology from December 12-14, 2018 for a study to be conducted in 2019 that will look at the role and contributions of youth in peace and security in Africa.
He also called on the AU to make the result of the study more accessible to youth in every member state to enable them use it in calling on their respective governments and Regional Economic Communities for their participation, development, and empowerment.
In September 2015, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2250 on Youth Peace and Security and the Council mandated the UN Secretary General to conduct an Independent Progress Study on Youth, Peace, and Security. The Study was conducted over the period of two years and presented to the UN Security Council through an Open Debate by member states on April 23, 2018 in the UN General Assembly in New York, an event Mohammed actively participated.
The Study recommends that member states and Regional Economic Communities support the active participation of young people at every level of decision making processes especially in peace and security and also support the work they are doing towards peace and security through capacity building and funding.
To implement the recommendations within the Progress Study, the AU Peace and Security Council and its Youth Division launched the Youth for Peace Africa in September 2018 in Lagos, Nigeria to recognize African youth as peacemakers rather than troublemakers.
To move further with the Youth for Peace Africa program, the Peace and Security Council Mandated the Peace and Security Department to conduct a continental study that focuses on the role and contributions of youth in peace and security in Africa considering the context of African countries and the AU definition of youth as persons between the ages of 15 and 35 rather than the UN definition of youth as persons between the ages of 15 and 24.
Mohammed assured the AU of Liberia readiness to host the regional consultation for West Africa during the study, noting that Liberia has a very good example to show the rest of Africa about the role and contributions of young people to peace and security as post-conflict nation that has enjoyed 15 years of peace, surpassing the 14 years of civil conflict. He used the occasion to thank the AU through its chairperson for appointing a Youth Envoy to champion the voices and issues of young people at the highest level in the African Union Commission.
“This is a great milestone for the young people of Africa and I hope this will not just be for the sake of youth representation within the AU Commission, but one that ensures the active participation of African youth at both the policy and impact levels of the AUC and within member states.”
Mohammed called on the new AUC Youth Envoy, Ms. Aya Chebbi to represent the youth of Africa well and make herself more accessible to the young people she represents.