Group Charts Way forward on Peace

Group Charts Way forward on Peace

According to the group, in one of the international press conferences,

Mr. Ban Ki-moon, former United Nations Secretary General mentioned in one of his many presentations that “Youth is Hope not Danger”.  Indeed youths are one of the greatest assets, who are regarded as partners of today and also the greatest investment for development of any nation, globally. They are valued possession, and without them, there can be no future. They serve as a good measure of the extent to which a country can reproduce as well as sustain herself. The extent of their vitality, responsible conduct and roles is positively correlated with the development of a country.

It further added,

“In December 2015, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted the ground breaking Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS).

“Resolution 2250 is the first UN Security Council (UNSC) thematic resolution dealing comprehensively with youth in issues related to peace and security. The title of the resolution is “Maintenance of International Peace and Security” which is a reference to Chapter 7 Article 39 in the UN Charter. The Resolutions under Chapter 7 are binding on Member States.

“Resolution 2250 recognizes the role of youth and their ability to promote peace, transform conflicts and prevent violence. In this resolution, youth are not considered only as a group to be protected (youth as victims), nor as a group to be protected from (youth as perpetrators of violence), but are rather considered as actors for positive change in their communities, recognizing their role as catalysts for peace and actors in preventing violence.

“Resolution 2250 responds to wider socio economic, cultural and political barriers that youth face in their quest of becoming an active agent of positive change, peacebuilding and reconciliation; provide youth the opportunity to actively get involved in healing local communities as both victims of abuse and actors in reconstruction.

“Resolution 2250 demand to give voice to youth in peace processes, urging governments, private and public entities, and civil society and institutions including UN agencies to provide both the tools and the necessary funding to transform the text into real policies and specific programs.

Addressing cases of violences and conflicts which it said is on the increase.

The group stated.

“In recent times, the number of violent conflicts have increased dramatically. Violence affects everyone. Violence prevent communities from developing, stop children going to school and make it harder for people to access healthcare. Poverty then drives more conflict and the cycle continues unabated. Nigeria urgently needs to respond differently. We need to think differently.

“It is urgent to shift from reactive to proactive and anticipatory response.  It is essential to step up preventive approaches that can enable holistic and integrated solutions in addressing the insecurity challenges in Nigeria.

It is time we stop picking up the pieces and start putting an end to the cycles of violence.

“It is time we invest more in peacebuilding by applying innovative solutions capable of addressing challenges in range of societal sectors and ensuring continuity of our political, economic and social structures.

The following recommendations were put forward for government’s consideration and implemention.

“We are hereby advocating for the Government of Nigeria to implement the following recommendations;

“Create Youth, Peace and Security Intervention Fund (CYPSIF) that can be deployed to increase participation and engagement of youth in peace building and conflict management processes at all levels in line with UNSC Resolution 2250. This action will provide predictable source of finance for implementation of Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Nigeria program.

“Establish and strengthen Institutional arrangement for effective coordination and mobilization of stakeholders to support the development process of State Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security in line with UNSC Resolution 2250. This institutional arrangement will fast track the process of domestication and implementation of Resolution 2250 at all levels in Nigeria.

“Strengthen State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to take lead in the implementation of State Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security.

“Support and strengthen Grassroots Youth Coalition on Peace and Security to institutionalize citizens’ based Early Warning Early Response system for conflict prevention. This action will enable mitigation of youth led political violence, social unrest and countering violence extremism at all levels.

“Support and strengthen Nigerian Interreligious Council (NIREC) to promote human values and non-violence resolution of intra and inter religious conflicts at all levels. This action will reduce tendencies for ethno-religious conflicts at all levels.

“Strengthen State Ministry of Information to further educate journalist to be well informed on issues related to mainstreaming of youth in peace and security at all levels. This action will establish synergy with the Media on YPS to sensitize traditional and religious leaders on Youth, Peace and Security Agenda in Nigeria.

The drafting Committee is made up of the following.

Drafting Committee:

Dr. Alhaji Umar Ali – National Coordinator

Dr. Benjamin Ojemire Daniel – National Technical Advisor

Dr. Abdulkadir Ahmed Jogana – Deputy National Coordinator, Northern Region

Comrade Adebogun Dayo Sense – Deputy National Coordinator, Southern Region

Mr. Andy Iji – Head of Youth Networks and Development

Mal. Umar Farouk Mohammed – Secretary General