1. Regional Peace and Stability: Comprehending the
role & position of Pro Democratic Young leaders
Lina Imran
Peace and Security Department /
African Union Commission
October 23rd 2012

2. Brief Background on Youth in Africa
• In 2005, it was estimated that Africa had an overall population of 922 million and the
projection for 2010 was over 1 billion people. A disaggregation of this figure indicates
that people below the age of 35 account for 70% of the total population (State of African
Population, 2008). This signifies that children and youth constitute the majority of
demographic dividend of the total population of Africa. According to the International
Conference on Population and Development on the fifteen years African Regional
Review Report (ICPD+15) (2009), Africa is predominantly a youthful continent.
• Even though this fact has been recognized, the youth still remains invisible to a large
extent in public policy. This is mainly because of lack of empowerment and the
prevailing stereotype. Lack of empowerment such as; inadequate access to education
and training, poor health, vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, lack of decent jobs, and
susceptibility to being caught up in conflict and violence, and insufficient representation
in decision-making processes. The stereotypes say that the youth are;
violent, dangerous, naïve, unprofessional, easily manipulated and so on. These
characteristics ascribed to the youth have continued to shape the image and reputation
of young people on the continent.
• Since 1970, more than 30 wars have been fought in Africa; the vast majority of them are
intra-state in origin. In 1996 alone, 14 of the 53 countries of Africa were afflicted by
armed conflicts, accounting for more than half of all war-related death worldwide and
resulting in more than 8 million refugees, returnees and displaced persons. As a
result, African societies are widely perceived to suffer from chronic levels of violent
conflict and crime. In this, humanity throughout history has disproportionately placed
the burdens of war and violence on young people. This has led to the growing need of
studying the relationship between the ‘youth bulge’ on the continent and the
contemporary dynamics of armed violence and conflict.
• African Youth Report 2009
• UNSG Report 1998

3. APPROACHES WHY THE YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVE IN
VIOLENCE?
• There are two strands of approaches that explain the involvement of youth in
violence; the first one is Demography and the second one is Coercion.
• In the demographic approach, young people fight because, quite simply, they
are too many. Other explanations focus on coercion. According to this
thesis, young people fight because they are forced to either by physical
abduction, or because of a lack of other alternatives for survival.
• The corollary of this is that young people are not really responsible for their
choice to fight, and should be treated as victims rather than as perpetrators of
violence.
• However research shows that, demographic bulge is neither a necessary nor
sufficient condition for violence. Youth bulges have only been statistically
linked to conflict and state failure when they coincide with poor governance, a
declining economy, or states with a high degree of ethnic or religious polarity.
Indeed, a large number of young people can be a tremendous asset to
developing societies. However, if young people find that opportunities for
employment are absent or blocked, that families cannot offer support, that
authorities cannot protect them or offer justice, and that hard work and
education offer few benefits, some may turn to extremist groups or rebel
leaders who promise a brighter future or immediate rewards (Ibid).
• UNDP, 2006

4. THE ROLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN PEACE BUILDING &
CONFLICT PREVENTION
• Young People play a substantial role in structural issues of peace building such as Inequality, poverty and
unemployment through; Youth Empowerment, Peace Education and Resolving differences through dialogue
• Youth Empowerment is mainly about enhancing the Capacity and skills building of young people through
awareness building, education and various forms of trainings and workshops; and increase access to
opportunities like that of employment that overtime shape their identity and future.
• At the national and community levels, youth-led programmes develop creative responses to violence which
take into special consideration the needs and preferences of youth. They also show a great outreach capacity
to youth, especially those marginalised. peer-to-peer activities have proven to be effective and reach young
people that government or adult-oriented NGOs cannot reach. One of their strengths lies in numbers and
mobilisation power.
• At the Regional level, Human Resource and Science and Technology department of the African Union
Commission has primary mandate in following up with works and activities of young people across the
continent, which ultimately aimed at empowering the young people at all levels. The Division devised
continent wide programmes and activities that will enable the youth to acquire the required skills.
• African Youth Charter (AYC); is legal and political document that provides a framework for youth
empowerment. The Decade for Youth Development 2009-2018 and its plan of action iscommitment from
DPoA which implements the AYC.
• AUYV Programme was launched in December 2010 Nigeria. 1st batch training followed, 2nd batch training in
Malabo as side even to the summit. Deployment is under process up on request from institutions, countries
and AUC.
• Conflict Prevention Mechanisms could be better harnessed by the young people at various levels of data
collection and analysis process of Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) and other Regional processes
such as CEWARN and USHAHIDI which is an youth led African platform that uses social media and mobile
technology to create interactive data visualization that changed the game for crisis response.
• http://africa-youth.org/auyvc

5. Enhancing Youth Employment
• In Africa 30% of youth are unemployed. This is mainly due to; low
skills, lack of work experience, limited access to network. It is also
indicated that about 80% of the youth work in the informal
economy where there is rampant;Low
productivity, Underemployment and Vulnerability.
“Youth account for a quarter of the world’s working- age
population, but almost half of its unemployed. Across all countries, the
unemployment rate is two to three times higher for young people than
for adults and the world wide one in seven young people has no job.
The particular tragedy for youth unemployment is that, like child
malnutrition, it leads to life- long harm because it means foregoing the
accumulation of the on-job skills and an employment history that
would send positive signals to future employers. Besides the personal
cost involved, youth unemployment has clear costs to society in terms
of wasted talent, and the likelihood that disenchanted young people
will turn to crime and violence.”
• Therefore it’s important for the young people to be part of the
Youth employment policy debates that are there to provide solution
for enhancing job creation capacity in Africa.
• AmartyaSen 2008 From Poverty to Power

6. THE ROLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN CONFLICT
MANAGEMENT/ RESOLUTION
• Transition Periods Good leadership in societies
emerging from conflict is critical driver in the creation
of good governance structures, determination of
strategies for the equitable distribution of
power, consolidation of peace and facilitation of
transition from the emergency to the development
phases of its reconstruction. Since, nation building
processes involve important planning as well as
implementation exercises that shape the Nation for
years to come, the involvement of the young people in
the processes of socio-economic and political
settlements become utterly indispensable.

7. THE ROLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN POST CONFLICT
RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
• African Union, PCRD policy defines it, as a comprehensive
set of measure that seek to: address the needs of countries
emerging from conflict, including the needs affected
populations; prevent escalation of disputes; avoid relapse
in to violence; address the root causes of conflict; and
consolidate sustainable peace.
• Each post-conflict recovery requires an integrated human
security framework, developed in full partnership with the
national and local authorities.Post Conflict Reconstruction
period could serve as an entry point for the youth to
engage positively through;
• AU Policy on PCRD, 2006

8. THE ROLE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN POST CONFLICT
RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT
• Humanitarian/ Emergency assistance: comes immediate post-war situation where the
state capacity is most limited. The youth volunteers and aid workers could play a positive
role in life-saving and sustaining assistance efforts across the continent.
• Socio-Economic Reconstruction and Development: is a multi-dimensional process that
contributes to improved living conditions, improved ability to meet basic needs, such as
health, education, and food and reduction of poverty and inequality. Given the high
number of young people around the continent they could be an integral force of socio-
economic development in addressing the threats to livelihood and income generation;
enhance agricultural production and guarantee food security; promote small scale
business and financing; participate in formulation of policies and also address
preventable diseases such as Malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
• SSR and DDR Programs
• Mainly former combatants are young people. It is through DDR programs that they will
be able to acquire skills development in reconciliation and coexistence to re shape their
future and find jobs. Even some could be given adequate trainings and re-integrated in
to security forces of the country.
• The young people could also play a major role in the activities such as; consolidation of
efficient, accountable and professional defense and security forces operating under
responsible civilian control and oversight mechanisms.

9. Why do we focus on young people?
• Young people are more open to change
• "Young people are searching for new ideas and open to new challenges while
adults have already formed their dogmatic discourses.
• Young people are future-oriented
• Young people inherit the past from older generations. In many cases, they have
not witnessed war directly but their parents and schools have passed down
stories. They will have to live in the world that others built. Since they have
more time ahead, they are willing to try alternatives and are more bound to
“forget” the past than those who were directly involved in a painful moment of
history.
• Young people are idealistic and innovative
• Many revolutions were started and led by young students or activists. Students
often have more time to think, read, meet colleagues and develop ideas. They
also have more time to engage different activists groups.
• Young people are courageous
• Young people are also less experienced and willing to try new adventures. This
risk-taking nature combined with a belief in a cause and a situation that cannot
get worse pushes them to be courageous, especially when others believe that
change is impossible.

10. Practical Challenges the Youth Face
• Narrow perspective of youth participation can also
narrow areas of intervention.
• Lack of Coordination between and amongst the AU
programmes and projects.
• Absence of Youth Desk in most of the Regional Economic
Communities (RECs) to coordinate, implement and give
direction to mainstream youth programmes
• Ministries in charge have multi-oriented portfolio with
youth empowerment as the weakest part (Human
Resource, technical & Financial support, very low
investment on youth)
• Weak domestic funding for youth development
programme
• Weak communication strategies between the concerned
stakeholders.