Youths across the world especially those from the countries that subscribe to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) will effective Monday Monday, November 21 gather in Nairobi, Kenya for the first-ever Intergenerational Dialogue Forum.
The hybrid forum will be as well bring together the nine members of the COMESA’s Committee of Elders, leaders of key institutions, key youth constituencies led by members of the COMESA youth advisory panel (COMYAP), representatives from National Youth Councils in the COMESA region, youth-led organizations, and social justice actors, among others.
It will be held under the theme: “Breaking the barriers to meaningful youth participation and inclusion in advocacy: Enhancing the meaningful participation of youth in peacebuilding and peace processes in the COMESA region.”
It has been organized by COMESA, Save the Children International East and Southern Africa Region, and Horn of Africa Youth Network in partnership with the Ministry for Youth Affairs Sports and Arts.
Hon. Ababu Namwamba, the Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports, and Arts in Kenya is expected as the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony.
Elizabeth Mutunga, the Head of the Governance, Peace and Security Programme a COMESA Secretariat, said that the voices of the youth, particularly young women, need to be heard and their views incorporated into policy priorities.
She added that the forum will provide a platform for the voices of young people to be heard by decision-makers at the highest level.
The forum according to Mutunga aims at promoting the youth peace and security agenda through advocacy for more inclusive policies and meaningful engagement of young people in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and governance processes.
David Momanyi, the ED of the Horn of Africa Youth Network said that the Youths and elders will discuss and develop strategies to ensure the relevance and greater implementation of the Youth Peace and Security Agenda in the COMESA region.
This he said will be done in order to enhance intergeneration support and implementation of various peace and security agenda on legal, policy, and programmatic related initiatives.
Lavina Oluoch of Save the Children said the Forum will help establish a structural linkage between the youth and the COMESA Committee of elders, religious leaders, politicians, and other policymakers and explore avenues that the generations can work together in promoting governance, peace, and security in the region.
