Youth Agency and the Promotion of Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda

YELI-Burundi (Youth Empowerment and Leadership Initiative) is a youth-led non-profit organization that empowers young women and men to take action on issues that affect their lives for positive change, peace and prosperity in Burundi. It offers young women and men the opportunity to explore different leadership skills and develop their leadership potential. YELI Burundi has experience working with young People and youth organizations in peacebuilding, participation in decision-making bodies and economic development, in partnership with the National Youth Council of Burundi conduct an iTAG e (an Independent talking across generation on Peace Education in Burundi) event: Youth agency and promotion of the Youth, Peace and Security agenda in Burundi was organized.

This iTAG e lies on the SDG 4.7 to ensure that all young women and men acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, through education for sustainable development, human rights, gender equality and the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence. This will also support the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Youth Agency and the Promotion of Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda in Burundi The Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda has gained momentum in recent years globally and across the African region, at the the UN level, the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250

was adopted in 2015, followed by a number of other policies and resolutions that highlight the role and contributions of young people and the necessity to support those efforts. Burundi has made progress in recognizing the contributions of young people in peace & security and has put in place programs and policies to support their work.

The aim of the dialogue was to consult Burundian young peacebuilders, policy makers, policy influencers and government representatives to provide key recommendations on youth, peace education and the establishment of the national action plan on Youth, Peace and Security in Burundi.

During the live event, as decision makers, were present:

- Hon. Jean De Dieu Mutabazi, President of the National Observatory for the Prevention and Eradication of Genocide, War Crimes and Other Crimes Against;

- Nkurunziza Jean Kevin, the Representative and Advisor at the Ministry of East African Community A-airs, Youth, Sports and Culture;

- Dr. Ingabire Thierry (MD, PhD), the President of the National Youth Council of Burundi – CNJB,

- Diop Baudouin Ndayisaba, the Commissioner in charge of discipline, Legal Affairs and Litigation, at National Youth Council Burundi – CNJB.

The event was implemented in two phases:

The phase 1 concerns the online conversation that was held in four weeks of February, to better coordinate the conversation four questions were released and selected moderators were tasked to orient the conversation to the right direction.

The phase 2 was a live event, were young people who emerged high ideas were invited to meet senior decision makers to discuss on the topic highlighted during the online event.

Three questions were asked and led to collecting the different recommendations that you will find

below:

Question 1:

- “To Honorable Mutabazi, based on your experience in the past of this country, how do you define peace, what can young people do to consolidate peace in their communities, what are your advice to young people?”

Question 2:

- “To Nkurunziza Raphael, as a young person operating on the ground, what are the opportunities for young people to operate in a safe environment and promote peace in their communities?”

Question 3:

- “To Dr Thierry Ingabire, as a leader of young people in Burundi, what are the challenges you face or other young people face as they are consolidating peace in their communities?”

The answers to all these questions led us to the recommendations below:

Recommendations to the government:

- Accelerate the process of the development of the national strategy on youth, peace and security

agenda and its action plan to allow different stakeholders to align with it;

- Decentralize the Investment Bank for Youth (BIJE) so young people from across the country can

easily get access to it;

- Capacitate the youth centers across the country to serve as resources for young people’s

knowledge.

To Youth-led organizations and cooperatives:

- Get a dream;

- Follow what you like and aspired to do in your life;

- Be empowered and acquire yourself a positive thinking when working;

- Avoid ignorance of any type of job when looking for sustaining yourself financially;

- Avoid the surrounding people with negative mind of disorientation;

- Take care of yourself;

- Exploit the available opportunities such as BIJE, Youth Economic Empowerment and Employment Program (PAEEJ), Impulse, Guarantee and Support Fund (FIGA) among others;

- Do not focus on the government to provide jobs, go and do something in entrepreneurship.

To International non-governmental organizations:

- Support youth-led and youth initiatives that promote peace education;

- Strengthen the partnership with the CSOs working at the national level.

To parents:

- Educate the children by teaching them a culture of peace at a very early age, a child that grows with a positive education is likely to be a good person which is contrary to a child educated in a bad manner.

Actionable recommendations:

- The Ministry in charge of youth to provide space for young people explore online opportunities for a better partnership with other stakeholders operating at different levels;

- The SCOs to mobilize young people for the usage of ICT,

- - Multiply intergenerational dialogues to open space for young people to discuss with decision makers.

This dialogue is expected to nurture the national strategy on Youth, Peace and Security that is being developed and be useful to young people and other actors working to promote the youth, Peace and

Security Agenda.

The detailed policy recommendations and the data gathered can be accessed here.

For more details contact us on: yeliburundi@gmail.com