YOUTH PEACE CHAMPIONS PROJECT PHASE III-GALLERY 2023
16 NVMonday December 11, 2023 SPECIAL PROJECT
CECORE TRANSFORMS YOUTH FROM VIOLENCE TO CHAMPIONS OF PEACE
By Wangah Wanyama
“Youth PeaceChampions Project – Phase IIIin selected post-conflict communities in Uganda. The project aims at preventing re-radicalization
-in a bid to prevent the targeted youth from sliding back into acts of violence. The project’s main target is youth who have previously been involved in (armed) violence. It also supports youth groups who are engaged in peace- building. Theproject has two main interventions –peace building, and “connectors for peace”/income generating projects.
Funded by the German Federal Foreign Office through ifa-zivik, the project in2023isbeingimplemented in three selected districts
– Kasese in south western Uganda, Kaabong in Karamoja region - north eastern Uganda,and Amuru in northern Uganda. These youths who become change agents in their communities, lead in transforming the attitudes of their peers in the community and are referred toas “Peace Champions”.
KEY ACTIVITIES
Some ofthe key activities
under the 2023 project include: Baseline study, training in peace-building and conflict transformation, skills trainingin “connectors for peace”/income generating activities, training in trauma healing and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and training in climate change and conflict nexus. Others include provision of supplementary materials for “connectors for peace” initiatives, community awareness raising and dialogues, talent support, mentoring and market linkages, experience sharing meetings, monitoring and evaluation
“Youth Peace Champions Project – Phase III in selected post-conflict communities in Uganda. The project aims at preventing re-radicalization
-in a bid to prevent the targeted youth from sliding back into acts of violence. The project’s main target is youth who have previously been involved in (armed) violence. It also supports youth groups who are engaged in peace- building. The project has two main interventions – peace building, and “connectors for peace”/income generating projects.
Brief about the Youth Peace Champions Project – Phase III
Center for Conflict Resolution (CECORE) is implementing the “Youth Peace Champions – Phase III” project in selected post-conflict communities in Uganda. The project aims at preventing re-radicalisation in a bid to prevent the targeted youth from sliding back into acts of violence. The project’s main target is youth (18-30 years) who have previously been involved in (armed) violence. It also supports youth groups who are engaged in peacebuilding. The project has two main interventions – peace building, and “Connectors for peace”.
In 2023, the project is being implemented in 3 selected districts – Kasese in South Western Uganda, Kaabong in Karamoja region -North eastern Uganda, and Amuru in Northern Uganda. These youth become change agents in their communities, lead in transforming the attitudes of their peers in the community and are referred to as “Peace Champions”. The project is funded by the Germany Government through ifa-zivik.
Some of the key activities under the 2023 project include: Baseline study, training in peace building and conflict transformation, skills training in “connectors for peace”/income generating activities, training in Trauma healing and addressing Gender Based Violence, and training in Climate change and conflict. Others include provision on supplementary materials for “connectors for peace” initiatives, community awareness raising and dialogues, mentoring, talent support. market linkages, and experience sharing meeting. In each of the districts, 3 groups are selected.
The project builds on similar projects in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 in districts like Kaabong, Kotido, and Amudat in Karamoja region (North eastern Uganda), Kasese (South Western Uganda), Yumbe (West Nile region) and Lira (Northern Uganda). The projects are implemented in an inclusive and active participatory manner with active participation of youth (male and female) and other actors like community members, community leaders, local government leaders, CSOs, existing community Infrastructures for Peace, etc – in a “whole of society” approach of transforming conflicts and promoting and sustaining peace.
