Academic Webinar Series
August 2022 –
The recognition of young people as a positive force in preventing and resolving conflict and building sustainable peace has gained momentum since the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 and 2419 on youth, peace, and security (YPS) in 2015. Furthermore, as part of Agenda 2063, the African Union (AU) has developed various youth policies and programs to leverage the demographic dividend. Yet, more can be done to enhance the voices of youth in security, especially in multilateral settings. Enhancing the impact of peace and security policies and strategies can be achieved only through a deep understanding of young women’s and men’s particular lived experiences of violence, injustice and exclusion, both in situations of violent conflict and in contexts of inequality, insecurity or uncertainty outside conflict settings. Discussions of how to take a new, more inclusive, approach to youth, peace and security (YPS) should build on the experiential knowledge and perspectives that youth themselves bring to the table, as well as their potential contributions to solving complex problems that African security sectors and their counterparts continue to face.
Session 1 | Thursday, August 11, 2022
Trends: Youth Bulges, Security and Peace in Africa
Session Objectives:
- Examine the trends of youth demographic, peace and security in Africa.
- Assess the state of current continental, regional, national, and local commitments to including youth in building peace and providing security in African countries.
- Identify any lessons learned and promising practical approaches for strengthening youth to realize their potentials in preventing violence and sustaining peace and security in Africa.
Recommended Readings:
- Ajak, Peter Biar, “African Youth Engaging in Peace and Security.” Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 29 April 2021.
- Ismail, Olawale, and ’Funmi Olonisakin. “Why do youth participate in violence in Africa? A review of evidence,” Conflict, Security & Development21, no. 3 (2021): 371-399.
- Kujeke, Muneinazvo “Turning Africa’s youth into peacebuilders,” Institute for Security Studies, 18 SEP 2017.
Moderator:
Dr. Joel Amegboh
(Assistant Professor of African Security Studies, Africa Center for Strategic Studies)
Keynote Speaker:
H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye
(Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, African Union Commission)
Panelists:
- Chido Cleopatra Mpemba
(Special Envoy on Youth, Africa Union) - Ms. Muneinazvo Kujeke
(Research Officer, Institute for Security Studies (ISS)) - Dr. Olawale Ismail
(Lecturer in Leadership, Peace, & Development Education, King’s College London)
Security Sector Governance: Elevating Youth Voices
Session Objectives:
- Explain the principles of effective, accountable security sector governance and potential roles for youth.
- Expand understanding and share the practical experiences of youth engagement in security sector governance in Africa.
- Explore and examine lessons learned and practical approaches for fostering youth involvement in security sector governance in Africa.
- Outline how a security sector governance approach can catalyze the transformative and sustained change needed to realize the YPS Agenda.
Recommended Readings:
- Ajak, Peter Biar, “African Youth Engaging in Peace and Security.” Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 29 April 2021.
- Catherine Lena Kelly, “Justice and Rule of Law Key to African Security / La justice et l’état de droit, pierres angulaires de la sécurité,” Africa Center for Strategic Studies, May 25, 2021.
- Augustin Loada and Ornella Moderan, “Civil Society Involvement in Security Sector Reform and Governance,” Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, Chapter 4, 2015.
Moderator:
Dr. Joel Amegboh
(Assistant Professor of African Security Studies, Africa Center for Strategic Studies)
Panelists:
- Colonel (ret.) Abdoul Ndiaye
(Former Deputy National Security Advisor to the President of Sénégal) - Dr. Rhuks Temitope Ako
(Senior Analyst, Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, African Union Commission) - Dr. Catherine Lena Kelly
(Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Associate Professor of Justice and Rule of Law, Africa Center for Strategic Studies)
The Role of Youth in Democratic Resilience and Governance in Africa
Session Objectives:
- Discuss the state of democracy and barriers to democratic success in Africa.
- Expand understanding and share the practical experiences of youth engagement in democratic governance in Africa.
- Explore and examine lessons learned and practical approaches for fostering youth involvement in democratic governance in Africa.
Recommended Readings:
- Gildfred Boateng Asiamah, Sadhiska Bhoojedhur, and Ousmane Djiby Sambou, “Africans say governments aren’t doing enough to help youth,” Afrobarometer, 3 November 2021.
- “The role of youth in preserving democracies in times of crisis: A shared goal of the United States and Africa,” Brookings, 15 March 2021.
Moderator:
Dr. Joel Amegboh
(Assistant Professor of African Security Studies, Africa Center for Strategic Studies)
Panelists:
- Mr. Florindo Chivucute
(Founder and Executive Director of Friends of Angola, FoA) - Ms. Asafika Mpako
(Communications Coordinator for Southern Africa, Afrobarometer) - Dr. Mercy Kalekye Nzioka
(Democracy and Social Inclusion Expert)