Ministry of Sport and Youth Permanent Secretary Kangwa Chileshe has officially opened a Capacity-Building Workshop for the Technical Working Group on the Development of the Roadmap for Zambia’s National Action Plan (NAP) on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), marking the beginning…

Ministry of Sport and Youth Permanent Secretary Kangwa Chileshe has officially opened a Capacity-Building Workshop for the Technical Working Group on the Development of the Roadmap for Zambia’s National Action Plan (NAP) on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), marking the beginning of the technical journey towards NAP-YPS.

Mr Chileshe has since urged the stakeholders to ensure that the roadmap aligns with the Grow Zambia Agenda, the National Youth Policy and other relevant national development frameworks.

Speaking when he officially opened the workshop in Lusaka, the Permanent Secretary noted that this will ensure that every peacebuilding intervention also creates pathways to skills development, employment and enterprise opportunities for young people.

He commended the cooperating partners for demonstrating their commitment to placing young people at the centre of peace, security and development in the country.

Mr Chileshe noted that for a long time, the narrative about young people and peace has been told in two extremes, either as victims of conflict, or as perpetrators of violence.

“The youth, peace and security agenda, anchored on United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015) and subsequent resolutions 2419 and 2535, fundamentally changes that narrative as it recognises young people as critical partners and agents of peace,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary highlighted several initiatives aimed at promoting youth participation in peacebuilding, including Youth4Parliament, Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors, African Union Youth Envoys for Peace, NYBC Peace Clubs and church youth groups.

Mr Chileshe stated that the process must therefore be inclusive, so that the voices of young people in all provinces, including young persons with disabilities, young women and refugee youth, are heard.

And he urged the young people to own, defend and implement the action plan as it is being formulated to their benefit.

Meanwhile, COMESA Head of Governance, Peace and Security Oita Etyang pledged the partners technical support and financial resources at every step of the process.

Dr Etyang also assured that the process will be consultative and will be guided by an intellectual and collaborative spirit, noting that the technical working group has the expertise, capacity and mandate to successfully deliver on the important agenda.

African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace (AYAP) for Southern Africa Ruth Kangwa commended the Government, through the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Arts and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, for taking forward the development of the country’s first-ever National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security.

MS Kangwa said there is need to pay attention to the challenges affecting young people in communities, including increasing drug and substance abuse, which is contributing to mental health challenges.

She added the need to recognise the complexities of an increasingly digital world, particularly with the emergence of artificial intelligence, explaining that digital platforms create opportunities for participation, organisation and access to information.

“However, they have also exposed young people to risks relating to online safety, cyber-related harm, the misuse of artificial intelligence, and the spread of misinformation and disinformation. These challenges already have implications for social cohesion, democratic participation and peace,” Ms Kangwa indicated.

She noted that even as young people have been affected by these challenges, they can also be positive contributors to addressing them.

“The African Union has made important commitments in this regard through its Youth for Peace Africa Programme, launched in 2018. The programme was established to strengthen the meaningful participation of young people in peace and security processes and to shift the perception of young people as potential sources of instability,” Ms Kangwa said.