Youth should take a word from the wise
Knowledge-sharing from similar networks is key to realising the potential of the AU’s WiseYouth initiative.
The African Union (AU) Network of African Youth on Conflict Prevention and Mediation (WiseYouth) accentuates the Peace and Security Council’s (PSC) promotion of youth inclusion in conflict prevention, mediation and resolution. The network was launched at the AU Commission’s 13th high-level retreat on 23 October 2022, coinciding with the seventh retreat of the Pan-African Network of the Wise (PanWise). The theme ‘Transformative mediation for Africa’s effective governance and peace dividends’ celebrated PanWise’s contribution to mitigating conflict on the continent.
With the 2023 AU summit welcoming its role in harnessing the demographic dividend, Commissioner Bankole Adeoye in his press briefing highlighted the network’s importance in AU multistakeholder peace and security initiatives. Although yet to be fully operational, WiseYouth is expected to contribute unique perspective and expertise to the PSC conflict prevention and mediation mandate. The PSC’s effective use of WiseYouth is crucial to realising a conflict-free continent.
Previous inclusion initiatives
WiseYouth reflects a commitment to inclusion, recognising the immense potential of the youth. This has resulted in various direct and ad-hoc engagements. Indirect engagement has been through the African Youth Corps, the AU Continental Framework on Youth Peace and Security and 10-year implementation plan through regional economic communities (RECs) and member states’ government agencies.
This has advanced the youth, peace and security agenda by developing national action plans, redressing systematic exclusion and addressing the grievances and needs of youth nationally and sub-nationally. Countries such as Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo have domesticated these plans, but implementation remains a challenge.
Engaging youth can provide intergenerational experience and build more inclusive peace
The AU has pursued direct engagement by establishing the Africa Youth Ambassadors for Peace and the AU Special Envoy for Youth as well as involving the youth in the AU’s traditional political processes. The decade of the youth ran from 2009 to 2019, generating a plan of action framework. The year of harnessing demographic dividend through investments in youth was 2017. Other initiatives included the African Governance Architecture Youth Strategy and the AU Youth for Peace.
Opportunities and challenges
Prioritising dialogue-centred conflict prevention is crucial for the PSC. WiseYouth is a platform for a multistakeholder approach and strategic advocacy to realise the youth’s inclusion in and commitment to peacemaking in Africa. As a member of PanWise, it is intended to support and advise the PSC and the AU Commission on continental peace and security efforts.
The network presents an opportunity to connect with diverse youth initiatives, creating a link to regional, national and sub-national mediation and conflict prevention structures. Its composition of diverse backgrounds and professional experiences, including tracks 1, 2 and 3 engagements, bridges this gap. Engaging the youth can also provide intergenerational experience and help build a more sustainable and inclusive peace.
WiseYouth’s operational potential extends beyond inclusion and multidimensional perspectives. By tapping into the demographic dividend and promoting collaboration, it presents a significant opportunity for transformation, characterised by local engagement.
Cascading such engagements to national and sub-national youth forums is an opportunity for the PSC to facilitate activities to prevent conflicts from escalating. It also creates communication channels among parties and supports conflict-prevention fact-finding missions. Through these, WiseYouth can carve a niche.
As a recent addition, WiseYouth can take lessons from similar African networks such as FemWise and PanWise
While these engagements are inclusive initiatives and instruments, there are pressing concerns about the value-add and impact of youth initiatives in meeting their objectives. They, WiseYouth included, require proactive investment to facilitate a meaningful contribution. Popularising and advocating implementation has to be more impressive. A multifaceted approach that combines capacity building, resource mobilisation, monitoring and evaluation, advocacy and awareness-raising, and partnership and collaboration is required for effective implementation and sustainability of WiseYouth.
Positionally, the movement faces a significant challenge operating in a longstanding tradition of limited inclusion of marginalised groups (such as women, youth and differently abled individuals) in high political spaces. The PSC will need to draw upon similar initiatives to harness WiseYouth's potential from the beginning.
Lessons from the wise
As the PSC considers how best to promote conflict prevention and mediation in Africa, it can take valuable lessons from similar networks. As a latecomer, WiseYouth can learn from FemWise and PanWise lessons, institutionalisation and placement in the AU structure and continuity in conflict prevention and early warning systems.
The PSC should train, deploy and engage youth peacemakers. For instance, the Ethiopian peace process held in Pretoria in 2022 was a missed opportunity to involve the youth. To ensure the success of future processes, WiseYouth should promote inclusion in AU-led peace processes. A more cohesive approach could narrow the bridge between developing frameworks and their use.
There is also great value in integrating gender sensitivity into WiseYouth programming. Involving young women in conflict prevention and mediation, and considering their perspectives when crafting policies and strategies can ensure inclusivity and representation of all segments of society.
Advocacy, engagement of decision makers and resources are needed to support youth initiatives
Another lesson is the need to focus on building the knowledge capacity of youth leaders in conflict prevention and early warning systems. WiseYouth can benefit from the experiences of FemWise and PanWise in identifying and nurturing young leaders with skills and experience for peacebuilding and security work. Moreover, RECs need to support WiseYouth to ensure that resources, knowledge and capacity are allocated to youth issues.
In the past, the Economic Community of West African States provided training on early warning systems, conflict prevention and mediation to enhance the capacity of youth groups. While the PSC has committed to promoting youth as a crucial element of its work, proactive investment in WiseYouth is necessary to strengthen its contribution. Allocation of sufficient financial and resource capacity is essential to enhance the network’s role in conflict handling, including preventive diplomacy.
Moving forward
Realising network efficiency and goals will require stronger dedication, involving allocating resources and establishing holistic structures to ensure the lasting contribution of WiseYouth. Fulfilling the initiative’s ambition depends on its members' capacity, competency and commitment. This can be achieved through advocacy, engagement of decision makers and allocation of resources to support youth initiatives.
Furthermore, the PSC should support the development of a framework to guide training and engagement. This would make WiseYouth more effective in addressing the challenges and limitations of ownership and buy-in among stakeholders, integrating gender sensitivity into programming and leveraging technology to enhance network effectiveness. The council needs to use WiseYouth in its preventive diplomacy engagements. Harmonisation and collaboration between the PSC and both PanWise and FemWise would strengthen the network through learning and knowledge-sharing encounters.
Image: © African Union Youth Envoy
