Cape Verde

Please provide us with your views on the state of peace in the country you will represent at the One Young World Summit.

Cape Verde is an archipelago of the west coast of Africa which includes ten islands, nine of which are inhabited with a combined population of 520,500 people. A democratic and peaceful nation.

Before the country s independence in 1975, Cape Verde was an island stricken with political unrest and tensions. Cape Verde was colonized by the Portuguese and it was not until 1975 that they were able to gain independence. After gaining our independence, Cape Verde shifted to a more positive and peaceful political climate. Despite having to fight for freedom, Cape Verde maintains being one of the few nations in Africa that has never had a militant government and has maintained positive relations amongst its people and surrounding nations. While the small nation was able to gain freedom in 1975, Cape Verde is still one of the poorest countries in Africa, with poverty rising every day. As the population continues to grow, larger cities like Praia and Mindelo for example are experiencing high rates of violence and crime, especially among the youth. Currently, Cape Verde’s biggest concern is the rising violence and unrest amongst the youth due to poverty.

How do you think your work and/or activism contribute to a sustainable peace? 

For the last 10 years I have been working with and within communities that are below the poverty lines, where there are high rates of crime and drug trafficking and alcoholism. My focus has always been the youth, specifically going into schools as a form of primary prevention so I can talk to the youth and encourage them to stay out the streets and stay in school. I use my platform as a hip hop artist to show them that they are more than capable of living a good and honest life, without having to revert to the streets. I even try to intervene as much as I can to work with families of the youth. Community is what brings people together, and I work to create a positive and healthy community environment.