Africa-Press – Ethiopia. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) urged young people across the region to take a central role in building and sustaining peace, emphasizing that lasting stability is unattainable without their active involvement.
IGAD Youth Peace and Security Conference has officially kicked off today in Nairobi, Kenya.
Supported by the Japanese government, the IGAD Executive Secretary, Workneh Gebeyehu, opened the IGAD Youth Peace and Security Conference with a powerful call to action.
“In today’s digital age, it takes just one individual to threaten global peace. Never underestimate your power or your tools. We would all suffer from a deficit of peace, so we must protect it,” he underscored.
The IGAD region is home to one of the youngest populations in the world, with youth under the age of 30 constituting over 60% of the total population.
In some countries in the region, this figure exceeds 75%, it was indicated.
Despite this demographic presenting both an opportunity and a challenge, the youth have continued to face complex and interlinked crises that undermine their potential and increase their vulnerability.
For instance, living in camps, informal settlements, or urban displacement contexts, they face intersecting challenges including limited access to education and livelihoods, trauma, exclusion from decision- making, and insecurity.
However, they also emerge as local peacebuilders, community organizers, educators, and advocates.
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