Youth, Peace, and Security Trends — Youth Bulges, Security & Peace in Africa
The African Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) is a Think Tank that was chartered by the UN Congress more than 20 years ago, to conduct research & academic programmes related to security issues in Africa in relation to American Foreign Policy. ACCS’ vision, is security for all Africans, which is championed by effective institutions that are accountable to their citizens i.e. ACCS has asserted that it can bridge the gap in African Union Foreign Policy & American Foreign Policy through effective mutual policies. Thus, signalling an opportunity for more robust MOUs to strengthen trustworthiness between all stakeholders, or conversely mitigate the current volatility of our bilateral relations. More than 600 participants registered for this webinar (coming from more than 68 countries)
wr1753731
ACCS has been analysing Youth, Peace & Security & looking at ways forward to tackle Africa’s myriad security challenges which include pressing challenges that are faced by African countries, as well as the USA & other countries around the world i.e. Youth Peace & Security should be seen as a global phenomenon and perhaps one may additionally assert that it is a global conundrum. The paradigm, within which ACCS’s Methodology & Vision emboldens itself, includes Dialogue, Pure Learning & Catalysing Strategic Solutions.
Chief amongst the panellists of this webinar was keynote speaker, H.E. Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, augmented by Dr. Joel Amegboh — the moderator. The core panellists were Ms. Chido Cleopatra Mpemba, the AU Youth Envoy; Dr. Olawale Ismail, lecturerer in Leadership,Peace & Development Education, King’s College London; & Ms. Muneinazvo Kujeke, Research Officer, Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
Ambassador Bankole Adeoye delivered an expert opinion on Good Governance, Peace, Security & Sustainable Development. Fundamentally, Bankole highlighted the importance & value of electoral integrity — Nairobi as a case in point i.e. Africa will continue to march towards consolidating democracy if we strengthen the integrity of our electoral commissions/committees (institutions). Bankole further appealed his vision for the value of Youth & their opportunity to participate in political reform more broadly on the continent i.e. the Youth are integral to the actualization of contemporary societies, which are Afropolitan for a better, common future, which is representative. Notably, Bankole revisited the AU Charter & Resolution 2250 of 2015 — articulating that these are framework/s to implement & promote the Youth For Peace Strategy with regional & national groundswell opposition/aspirations i.e. these Peace Resolutions have given Youth the opportunity to pursue multilateral engagements on the continent of Africa that will foster peace & security at all levels. Bankole initiated a suggestive proposal of a Policy Brief: Regional Action Plans Should Be Pursued To Promote National Action Plans because the Youth are on a platform of intergenerational-dialogue & therefore they must bridge the gap evading their pursuit for sustainable peace & security. According to Bankole, African Youth, Peace & Security Council is committed to implement and promote a continental framework & programme on Youth for Peace, as well as guidelines to ensure the value for soft power (dialogue) in the pursuit of sustainable political decision-making on the continent
The panelists augmented Ambassador Bankole’s analysis by highlighting a shared, common identification of major security challenges faced by Youth in Africa & the drivers of these challenges. Which include, but are not limited to, armed-conflict, inequality, ethnic divisions, poverty, unemployment as well as rising issues such as terrorism and post COVID-19 i.e. instability is heightening and threatens the overall security & well-being of societies. Agreeably, The Youth Bulge, which constitutes over 65% of the continent, is intricately susceptible to the direct effects of these issues. That is why a collaborative effort between ACSS & ACCORD, in a hypothetical scenario, would present institutional opportunities for the achievement or enforcement of best practices when it comes to peace making, peace-building & peacekeeping.
The purpose of this webinar was to identify strategic commonalities amongst ACCS and other like-minded Think Tanks, within Africa, to collaborate within the nexus of best practices for institutional Methodology & aligned Visions & Missions.
WR1753731
