UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES

Introducing the GCYPS Working Group on Climate

• UNOY Peacebuilders
• Young people are at the forefront of climate action around the world, and they play a key role as peacebuilders in their communities. However, young people are oftentimes excluded from policymaking in both peace and security, and climate change. GCYPS is excited to announce the formation of a Youth Working Group on Climate, in action to bridge the gaps in conversations within the GCYPS on the climate-YPS nexus through coordinated advocacy, providing a space for youth activists, and youth-led research. If you or your organization are interested in working on the climate YPS-nexus, please contact [email protected] and [email protected].

HLPF Side Event: Advancing Partnerships to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism

• The Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers
• Join the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers’ Inclusivity-based Community of Practice event on, ‘’Advancing Partnerships to Prevent and
  Counter Violent Extremism,” on Tuesday, July 12, from 8:00-10:00 AM EDT. This UN High Level Political Forum side event will exemplify partnerships across multilateral institutions, government, and civil society, including religious and traditional actors, on how they are working together to prevent and counter violent extremism.

ConnexUs Launches Youth, Peace & Security Thematic Action Area

• ConnexUs
• ConnexUs – a global learning, networking & coordination platform for you to collaborate with people in conflict-affected contexts who are addressing pressing challenges – has launched a YPS thematic action area. GCYPS members are invited to submit YPS-related resources, events, and job opportunities and start and participate in discussion forums. Thematic Action Areas are digital community spaces to provide access to the latest resources, foster collaboration between people & organizations working on everyday issues, and increase our collective impact. Learn more about ConnexUs here.

ALLY Fellows Advocating for Implementation of the YPS Agenda in South Asia

• UNOY Peacebuilders
• In a new initiative, 12 ALLY Fellows (3 from each focused country: India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan) led an advocacy mission in alignment with
  the Youth, Peace and Security agenda to the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu (Nepal) in May 2022. They met with Mr. Ismail Mandhooh, the Director of Social
  Affairs at the SAARC. The main objective of the meeting was to make SAARC aware of the youth peacebuilding work and nudge them for supporting YPS agenda implementation in the sub-region. Apart from SAARC Secretariat, the Fellows also met with 9 other stakeholders: UNDP Nepal, UNESCO Nepal, UN Women Nepal, Amnesty Nepal, Forum Asia, Nepal National Youth Council, South Asia Foundation, URI Nepal and Policy Research Institute. Fellows also had virtual meetings with the SAARC Development Fund and Asian Development Bank. These advocacy efforts are now continuing at the national level by ALLY fellows.

Galkayo at a Glance

• UNFPA Somalia
• Galkayo is a divided city. The north is under the control of Puntland State, the south of Galmudug State, resulting from inter-clan conflicts that disproportionately affect
  youth as both victims and agents. However, for the past three years, Galkayo has enjoyed relative peace, stability, and economic growth and youth has played a significant role in this venture. Recently, UNFPA, the MoL 1, MoYP 2, and CPSS 3 joined forces to concretize youth’s role in peacebuilding processes and security in Galkacyo through a youth forum. The forum aimed to build a joint vision for youth as positive agents of change, enable them to acquire basic knowledge of the YPS Agenda to effectively engage and lead the national peacebuilding and security processes, and encourage discussions on peacebuilding and security. Youth from across Galkayo, peace champions, senior government officials, and relevant
  key stakeholders participated.

Working Together Towards Peace in Minnesota

• Nonviolent Peaceforce
• Nonviolent Peaceforce welcomes 4 Community Peacebuilders (CPBs), as well as their mentor, Will Wallace, to the Minneapolis-St. Paul team. Peacebuilding is most effective and likely to succeed when local and grassroots voices are heard and amplified. The CPBs continue their peacebuilding work in addressing
  community conflict and violence in North Minneapolis. Learn how their efforts are building towards a world where communities can navigate conflicts without the threat of force and work together to address system violence.

RESEARCH

LAC Launch of the Protection Report

• OSGEY – United Nations Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth
• The Spanish translation of the Global Report on Protecting Young People in Civic Space was launched on May 12th, 2022, in collaboration with Plan International and OHCHR Guatemala. The report includes highlights on the need for stronger global protection mechanisms. Read more on the recommendations and guidance for various stakeholders, including governments intergovernmental and regional organizations, civil society, and young people. The launch also featured a Call to Action – calling on all partners to to promote the implementation of the recommendations in the LAC region. Learn more here!

Training for Young Peacebuilders on Implementing Safe, Secure Community Development Project Initiatives Local Youth Corner Cameroon

• Local Youth Corner Cameroon
• To amplify the voices and efforts of young people, LYCC carried out a Residential Training for Young Peacebuilders on implementing Safe, Secure Community Development Project Initiatives in January 2022. Learn more about how this initiative reinforces youth-led alternative approaches to respond to the crisis situations in the North West and South West Region of Cameroon by building their capacity in the formal and informal development processes. It also seeks to respond to the exclusion of young people in the peace-building process and their lack of skills to effectively engage as key stakeholders in building peace while enhancing the abilities as young people to carry out and implement positive practices for safe and secure community development Initiatives.

What is the Nexus Between YPS, Climate Change, and Rapid Urbanization?

• UN-Habitat
• Youth remain excluded from most urban planning and governance even as they carry the short and long-term consequences as it is an underappreciated intersection despite 68% of humanity being projected to live in urban areas by 2050, with 68% of urban dwellers in developing countries to be under the age of 18 by the same year. We argue that rapid urbanization as a challenge to peace and security becomes acute when analyzing the unprecedented and irreversible nature of climate change and its overall impact on urban governance. This is despite youths’ legitimacy and expertise as local actors, and working across different spectrums and typologies of violence and conflict, often engaging structural and immediate causes of violence critical to sustaining and building peace. Learn more on how youth inclusion and empowerment today will enable them to act as Guardians of the Future.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Contact: [email protected]