Youth Leadership Development for Peace Building

Youth have played a fundamental role in every aspect of the armed conflict in Nepal. Not only are they the vast majority of combatants, but also they were key players in organising the recent democracy movement. Although they lack opportunities to be engaged in positive peace building activities, it is clear that they are well positioned to address the root causes of conflict at a community level, and should be integral to conflict mitigation in Nepal.

Click to read a letter written by a Nepali youth about SFCG's youth radio programs.

SFCG has developed a three-stage approach to foster the participation of youth in peace building activities and cultivate youth leaders at a grass root level. Working within the community, in 10 districts within the mid-western and far-western development regions most affected by the war; SFCG is facilitating cooperative action among youth-led civil society organizations across political, social, and caste lines.

To achieve this, SFCG is in partnership with local media organization, The Antenna Foundation, and works closely with already established youth and listener groups. The radio soap opera already conveys a set of coordinated messages, and SFCG operates to develop a set of outreach activities designed to reinforce these messages and facilitate attitude and behavioural changes amongst young people in the community.

By working at a grass root level, SFCG is able to identify some of the influential "multiplier youth," those young people who are natural leaders of their peers; and engage them in several ways. Through various leadership activities and retreats, these young leaders will enhance their understanding of the root causes of conflict and develop skills to bring people together from across dividing lines to help build peace. As well as this, they will engage with other political and social youth leaders, with whom they will be able to exchange stories and experiences, and subsequently share their knowledge with their group and community and construct creative actions for peace building.

In the coming months, SFCG will provide support for youth organizations that demonstrate the most creativity and potential to have an ongoing role in peace building in their communities. The creation of continual peace building projects will ensure attitude and behavioural changes amongst young people and anticipate that they will significantly contribute to building sustainable peace.

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