One Young World Peace Ambassadors

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

Antigua and Barbuda can be described as a state that is generally peaceful. Any conflict which arises is likely to be pertained to a decision made by the government. This is often resolved by either further explanation to the people or a reverse in decision based on how the responses obtained from citizens. Additionally, given our small size, the community often plays a major role in the war on crime. Although crime rates are at times incomparable to other nations, many residents feel that more can be done to curb gun violence, theft and other crimes committed. Rallies are popular way to make displeasure about a particular issue known. However, they rarely to never become disruptive or fatal.

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

Working in the employment sector has given me the opportunity to coach many young persons about obtaining employment. My work has allowed me to advocate to businesses to open up volunteering and internship opportunities for young people. As a result, I have managed to give the opportunity to more than 30 people for internships within various companies around the island. Additionally, working alongside the Department of Youth Affairs have given me the opportunity to encourage young people to get involved into social programmes especially through the creation of the National Youth Council.

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

The news will tell you Guyana is peaceful, that the tensions between our six different ethnic groups have not erupted into armed conflict. Prima facie, there is peace. Peace however is much more complex. In my mind, Guyana is not at peace. The youth unemployment rate is at 40% and the air is thick with a sense of despair. Despair that manifests itself in youth crime and violence and one of the highest suicide rates in our region. No mental peace. The McDougall report produced by the UN tells another part of the story: how there is no peace in the minds of Afro-Guyanese who have faced marginalization for over a decade in their own country. We continue to be casualties in a political war politicians wage against each other. No political peace. Now that Guyana has discovered oil, there is the belief that this will fix our problems but this is contrary to reality. Our problems will be compounded by another source of political conflict in our waters. No economic peace. Peace therefore is a dream, something the youth of Guyana work towards. Something we hope to achieve in our lifetime so that our children can come to know it.

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

My work with the Cuffy 250 Committee coupled with my other initiatives contributes to a sustainable peace by firstly, empowering Afro-Guyanese citizens. Their marginalization over the past years means that they were placed at a significant disadvantage when compared with the other ethnic groups in society. They have not been able to participate fully and fairly in various areas of Guyanese society such as the economy, land ownership and access to other resources necessary for development. I do not advocate the deprivation of any ethnic group for the benefit of another. I simply believe that African-Guyanese must be reconciled with the wider society through affirmative action and the affirmative action I have chosen is work directed to their empowerment. I believe that when all ethnic groups begin to see each other as equal partners in development, there will be peace. The other ethnic groups in Guyana should be commended for their cultural retention and their collective identity. My work is geared towards generating similar actions in the Afro-Guyanese community. I believe that once there is understanding of the various cultures in Guyana, beyond tolerance there can be appreciation and this appreciation can become the sustainable peace we seek.

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

Moldova is a little country, full of people with different visions: pro-Russian, pro-Romanian or people who don’t care. Moldova has a separatist region called Transnistria, which is mainly inhabited by pro-Russian people. If you want to visit Transnistria, you will be forced to explain the reason for your visit and your possessions will be searched. Even in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova, people can fight because of this language issue: if you ask a Russian speaker something in Romanian, he or she can tell you „Talk in a normal language”. Simply put, peace in my country is between people with the same ideas - there is far too much intolerance between people who think differently.

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

My job at Youth Media Center consist of organising media literacy trainings across the country. We already covered more than 50 regions of Moldova, where we met with young people and trained them on extracting objective information from the media and what should they do when they see something that is wrong. We promote citizens’ journalism and we challenge young people to think critically. This summer we had a media camp with youth from all the country and we were impressed to see how friendly they were to one another, even though they think differently and speak different languages. I feel my personal contribution to maintaining peace consists of talking with youth and share the experiences that I have. I regularly report about youth and show their skills and desires to bring about social change.

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

Qatar has maintained its first ranking in the Middle East and North Africa during the past years (2009 – 2017) and has been ranked best internationally in the same period by achieving high rates of evaluation that outshines many developed countries. This rank comes in a time when the region is going through a turbulent war in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and fight against Islamic State in the Middle East. Peace in the region is very much necessary for the world peace. The recent blockade and siege of Qatar by the fellow GCC countries shows the volatility and complexity in the Middle East.The State of Qatar recognizes the responsibility of all States and act in accordance with international law and the UN Charter to promote international peace and security and to meet new challenges. It therefore firmly believes that achieving peace in the Middle East is subject to the commitment of the parties concerned to implement the resolutions of international legitimacy in good faith and implement a sincere cooperation in accordance with the foundations and criteria agreed upon by the international community to reach a just and comprehensive settlement of the Middle East issue.

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

Climate action is not just a necessity but an opportunity to forge a peaceful and sustainable future on a healthy planet. It is clear that climate change is an urgent and growing threat to national security across the globe, contributing to increased natural disasters, refugee flows, and conflicts over basic resources such as food and water. These impacts are already occurring, and the scope, scale, and intensity of these impacts are projected to increase over time. It is a real and present threat to peace and prosperity around the globe. Droughts, floods, high heat, extreme weather, and rising seas are displacing people as never before and putting lives and livelihoods in jeopardy. And there is a real humanitarian cost. No country or sector is immune. At our social organization in Qatar we believe climate awareness and climate action can be a very vital tool for peace and stability in Qatar and Middle East region over the coming  years. During the recent High-Level Political Forum at the United Nations, Secretary-Generals Antonio Guterres mentioned that climate action plays a central role in achieving the sustainable development goals. Climate change is not expected to directly result in violence. This is in line with the growing consensus that climate change will act as a “threat multiplier,” exacerbating existing challenges and sources of tension such as weak governance, poverty, historical grievances and ethnic differences. With climate change making many fragile parts of the Middle East hotter, drier and less predictable, it could contribute to the root causes of conflict by undermining livelihoods, increasing competition for scarce natural resources, displacing large numbers of people and overwhelming state institutions by placing addition stress on social, economic and natural systems which are not limited to Qatar, but the wider Middle East region. The recent history of conflict in the Middle East region with the additional stress of climate change may strain the capacity of households, communities and governments to cope with and respond to impacts.

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

Armenia is a landlocked country in the Caucasus region. It has good economic relations with the bordering nations of Iran and Georgia. There are no diplomatic relations with neighboring Turkey because of the Armenian genocide of 1915 by the Ottoman Turks. Turkey currently refuses to recognize it as a genocide and the relations still remain unchanged from those times. Armenia has been engaged in a long-term conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and its seven surrounding districts since the late 1980s before their independence from the Soviet Union. A ceasefire was agreed upon in 1994, leaving Nagorno-Karabakh as an internationally unrecognized territory mainly inhabited by ethnic Armenians. Both sides argue that Nagorno-Karabakh historically belongs to their sovereign territories. Despite the ceasefire agreement, the conflict is still ongoing and it has escalated into a more violent state in the last two years. In April 2016, another four-day war started in the territory and Azerbaijan occupied some territories in the disputed area. As a result of the breaches of the ceasefire, both sides incurred casualties. The situation stays unstable and according to political analysts new wave of escalation may be expected.

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

I believe in the statement that every voice counts and I think that a single individual can make a change in a society. The change does not necessarily mean something life-changing but it can mean a small investment that contributes to a larger cause. For example, during my years in academia I have tried to create analytical materials that could help my target groups to understand the situation even better. This was done as part of a student consultancy practice with the UN Office of the Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide. I also consider myself a contributor to the mentality and social change in my community. By serving as an example of non-hate speech and showing a willingness to make a dialogue, I also create contributing factor that triggers my peers.

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

Honduras in the last couple of years has experienced a high level of violence that has not only caused our people to be threatened in their homeland, but also that millions of my fellow citizens have felt a need to escape the county in very hazardous ways forced by the circumstances.

Even though my country is not at war with any other country, it seems that we live in war. A war that is being fought street by street, a war that has kidnapped the future of my country: the youth. I have witnessed the desire of the youth of my country for a better future and I have been able to see how the youth organizes in order to bring change in the country through arts and sports.

We Hondurans are eager for real and sustainable peace, where we would be free enough to build our lives in our homeland, where we could find the opportunities for our own happiness in our hometowns, and it is for this ultimate goal that we are still fighting.

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

I myself was one of these young kids involved in violence, until one day I was shot in my back with a gun. The bullet went through me, just centimeters away from my heart. This was a life-changing event and I decided to quit any violent activity and started skating in the central park of my community. Soon others joined me. I always dreamed of a skate park where the at-risk youth could go. We got organized in a skate club in Centro de Alcance (the youth center of the Catholic Church of my community). For our work in violence prevention, we won the Community Heroes Award by USAID in 2015 and in 2016 I won the Emerging Young Leader Award by the U.S State Department.

I asked the USAID director in Honduras to help my club in building a skate park in my community. Nowadays, the youth of my home town enjoys the first Extreme Sports Park in Honduras, and we continue to work with the members of the Skate Brothers Club, the Catholic Church, and members of the community to bring the opportunity to every kid that is willing to focus this energy into sport and community living.

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

Barbados is a small island with a population of no more than 288,000. I personally view it as a relatively peaceful country. However, there has been a noteworthy increase in violence, high school dropouts and a lack of hope and motivation among many youth. A recent study has found that although Barbados has one of the lowest rates of reported homicides in the region, this figure is still troubling since the percentage of its population indirectly affected by violence remains high.

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

Youth who are disengaged are placed at a greater risk of not being exposed to the two main factors that are required for sustainable peace; equitable economy opportunity and human rights protections. Therefore, my organisation A Ganar Barbados seeks to bridge the gap between school and the workplace, using the principals of sports to teach at-risk youth employability skills, technical job training, internships and life skills. The goal is to curb youth unemployment and disengagement.

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

One elementary way of defining peace has been to say that peace is absence of war. This is, however, a very narrow view of peace. No doubt absence of war is the first condition of peace, yet peace is not merely an absence of war. It is in reality a condition characterized by peaceful, cooperative and harmonious conduct of international relations with a view to secure all-round sustainable development of the people of the world. Nevertheless, since absence of war is the first condition of peace, one of the major concerns of all activists has been to formulate and follow the principles and devices needed for securing this primary objective. But it's not the whole story. Being located in Middle East, Iran faces numerous challenges for sustainable peace.

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

As a feminist activist and a member of a women's rights movement in Iran, I have always worked for sustainable peace through activism with an intersectional approach for gender equality. I argue that peace requires disarmament, justice, and the longer-term creation of responsive institutions and shared decision-making, to support the needs and aspirations of all ‘sides’. Sustainable peace requires paying attention to what women say. Women don’t speak with one voice any more than men do, so putting a token woman on a delegation changes little. Sustainable security requires putting numerous women – from all backgrounds – front and center of negotiations for peace and disarmament, not just occasionally but in every significant meeting and negotiating forum. I do believe that by empowering women to raise their voices, we can work towards sustainable peace.

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

During the summit I will be representing Mozambique. 6 years ago Mozambique discovered that it had some of the world´s largest gas deposits, capable of generating great wealth for the country. Nonetheless, these discoveries also triggered some recent instabilities in the country, between the government’s military forces and the main opposition party’s private militia - RENAMO. With this political instability, the main road network connecting the southern part of Mozambique to the north was interrupted due to the military instability. However, last year the government and militia forces managed to reach an agreement and peace now prevails in the whole country.

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

I believe that a great part of sustainable peace and stability is ensuring that people have a means to earn a decent income that enables them to live a comfortable life. I believe that when people don´t have an income source, they end up resorting to all means to be able to provide for themselves and that in turn can jeopardize the overall peace and stability. With our company Izyshop, we provide the largest group of people affected by poverty, smallholder farmers, with a means to increase their income through empowering them to grow and sell their production. This results into a greater income (over 7 times more) that opens possibilities for a better life, more stability and ultimately overall peace.

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

Fortunately, Europe has experienced a period of prolonged peace ever since the end of the Second World War. In the post-1945 period, the European nations turned away from the rivalry and competition which fuelled the Imperial expansion of the 18th and 19th centuries and the two World Wars of the 20th. Instead, they chose integration and cooperation by creating the European Community. After the fall of communism, the Central and Eastern European countries, heretofore isolated behind the Iron Curtain, were finally free to join and contribute to the pan-European space of tolerance, common democratic values and shared prosperity. Today, sixty years since the signing of the treaty of Rome, the European Union is endangered by the re-emergence of the very tendencies it was created to dilute. Nationalism, populism, intolerance, and discourse radicalisation are overtaking democratic communities throughout the European space. For my generation, it is easy to take the blessings of peace and prosperity for granted. However, what the current crisis shows us is that these are not irreversible; peace and prosperity need to be maintained through a continuous effort at bettering our democratic societies.

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

It’s paradoxical that whereas the Internet was initially seen as a way to bridge the growing communication gaps between democratic publics and their elected representatives, it actually ended up exacerbating them. I’ve dedicated my work in the last five years as a communication practitioner, researcher and entrepreneur to finding a solution to this communication deadlock. I believe strongly that the Internet does indeed hold the promise for strengthening democracy and ensuring social cohesion, but only within properly designed deliberation frameworks. That is why in 2013, I co-founded the start-up GovFaces to provide tailored platforms for online community engagement to cities, governments and international organizations. We build digital spaces designed specifically to allow citizens and policy-makers in every community to come together and deliberate on substantial issues of general interest through question-and-answer sessions. Since launch, more than 400 policy-makers have used GovFaces to engage in public consultations, community campaigns and direct communication with citizens across Europe. By developing online platforms for meaningful deliberation, without noise, fake news or trolling, we hope to provide our contribution to promoting empathy and social cohesion in European societies and set an example for other communities around the world to follow.

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

I believe that today the state of peace is a threat, given the geopolitical stay of Belarus in the centre of Europe. Belarus has been a central battleground in the First and Second World War.

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

I believe that my work in cultural area helps people to look at social problems at an angle of art and draw their own conclusions.

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

Speaking from my personal and from a youth perspective, I would say that people and especially youth have lived a peaceful life, despite the fact that many youth are facing high youth unemployment, abuse, and many more challenges. In Kiribati there are government policies and there is donor support – as well as generally good community attitudes – that have resulted in Kiribati being a peaceful and stable country. This peaceful environment has been strengthened by empowerment, encouraging participation and creating pathways that meet physical and emotional needs. So I would say that Kiribati is generally peaceful and by sustaining the above elements we will maintain a sustainable peace in my country.

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

My role as a Coordinator for the ChildFund Youth Learning Program gives me the confidence that our work is inclusive and that no one left out. We are using a holistic approach whereby the youth in designated areas are all included by encourage participation, empowering youth and creating pathways for active learning.

As President of the Kiribati Youth Initiative Association, KYIA, I have implemented lots of activities and successfully run small projects that generally engage youth to voice their issues and improve their talents such as dancing, drama and many other skills. The beneficiaries of this are members of KYIA and other youth.

I always address elements of peace-building in my work such as youth empowerment, encouraging participation and providing supportive, creative and protective factors to meet desires and needs of the youth.

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

My country Fiji has been going through a sustained era of peace for a decade now. The law and order is maintained by the State to ensure that the citizens of Fiji enjoy the peace and security they deserve. Fiji is a diverse multi-racial country whereby people of all ethnic groups and backgrounds enjoy cordial relationship in their communities. Despite the nation having experienced political and racial strife in the past, the citizens of Fiji always had a strong sense of identification with each other. This is one of the fundamental reasons as to why the country was able to achieve sustained peace. Culture and tradition also plays a hegemonic role in maintaining tranquility in our Fijian societies. Indian independence icon Mahatma Gandhi once said, “There is no path to peace; peace is the path”. Hence, a culturally diverse country like Fiji aspires to achieve peace through reconciliation and respect for all faiths and ethnic groups. It is also the goodwill of the Fijian people that has bestowed peace in this country.

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

One of our major areas of work is advocacy for multi-culturalism, anti-racism, enhancing democracy, promotion of human rights and good governance. At the Citizens’ Constitutional Forum, we created advocacy through sports in the secondary schools during the international day marking anti-racism in March this year. We also organize national forums and community workshops where we fervently advocate for and disseminate the tenets of multi-culturalism, peace and harmony and anti-discrimination in order to decrease the potential for ethnic mistrust and conflict in our societies. Furthermore, whilst creating awareness, I link the thread of how multi-culturalism and anti-discrimination in our communities inevitably leads to change, development, sustained peace and progress in our country. I have also delivered addresses at important seminars and forums on the critical role education plays in our societies as a tool for sustainable peace, change and development. At this juncture, my focus is on holding seminars with youths in the respective districts. Youths as potent agents of change in our societies have the capacity to bring about the desired outcomes if molded and guided in the right direction.

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

Kosovo is home to many ethnic communities pertaining to different languages and cultures and traditions. I have the impression and the fear that sometimes, all this rich cultural mosaic can be broken and transformed into a conflictual clash.

Since 1999 when the war in Kosovo ended, the international community has worked effortlessly to establish peace and security in Kosovo fostering inter-ethnic relations, urging national reconciliation and promoting cooperation and sustainable development. The current situation is almost satisfactory but there is always room to improvement. Being raised in the Balkans, I have learnt that we should never take the peace for granted. The city of Mitrovica, located in the northern part of Kosovo, is still divided on ethnic lines. In the southern part live Kosovar Albanians, while in the northern part of the city Kosovar Serbians live. The latter are using the parallel structures of Serbia in terms of education, health and security that undermine their integration in Kosovo. The lack of rule of law, a fragile justice system with high level of corruption and an unsecure future in terms of professional development and life expectations are serious threats to peace in the country.

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

I am convinced that it’s easier to build bridges through promotion of inclusiveness than to build walls through indifference. While my work on fighting organized crime is a direct contribution to Kosovo law enforcement agencies’ developing programs to increase their capacities in that regard, I think my passion for fostering cultural relations is an added value. I am working on a daily basis to promote inclusive and culturally sensitive language on social media, having in mind the power that social media have reached on changing people’s behaviors and opinions.

I am a passionate anti-domestic violence advocate trying to change people’s hearts and minds towards a social framework that offers equal opportunities for men and women not only in the families but also in the public sphere. I profoundly believe that my country, having experienced an armed conflict and facing the phase of reconstruction and reconciliation, should utilize three flagship sources of soft power: the interfaith relations, tolerance and educated women. I will contribute by supporting and organizing platforms that bring together people who love interfaith dialogue, multiculturalism and togetherness, main tools that lead to a sustainable peace. I am also a published writer so inclusive language and promotion of cultural diversity will be reflected in my books.

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

Myanmar has experienced civil war communal problems since independence. When political reforms that came into being in 2011 ended the military rule in Myanmar, there emerged a ray of hope for peace in Myanmar. As the government and more than 60 percent of ethnic armed organizations managed to sign bilateral preliminary ceasefire agreements, many ethnic areas became quite peaceful. While there still is a long way to go before Myanmar can achieve a sustainable peace, the government has moved ahead with the national peace conference to address grievances of ethnic minority groups and to develop a political system that can ensure durable peace in Myanmar. The dedication all stakeholders have had for the peace process has almost ensured that there is no turning back in the peace process. On the other hand, however, little attention was given to finding durable solution for communal problems between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar. It was because of the mutual suspicion and the unwillingness to value diversity among many communities and the problem with law enforcement in the country. All stakeholders must work hard to promote acceptance of diversity and the rule of law to bring social harmony into Myanmar.

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

In the last five years or so, I have worked for four different organizations that tried to bring peace and social harmony into Myanmar. In 2012, I joined the Inquiry Commission on Sectarian Violence in Rakhine State as a research assistant. I contributed to formulating recommendations on brining peace and normalcy into Rakhine State. In mid-2013, I joined the Myanmar Peace Center and worked on drafting the peace dialogue framework, a step to achieve a sustainable peace in Myanmar. In 2015, I joined the Center for Diversity and National Harmony, a center that focuses on promoting social harmon in Myanmar. I was involved in organizing trainings, forums, campaigns and meetings that were designed to promote acceptance of diversity and social harmony. I was also involved in the research projects on the state of social harmony in Myanmar, and the communal problems in Rakhine State. The findings of the research projects were used by stakeholders in developing policies on managing communal problems in Myanmar. In mid-2016, I joined the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State led by former UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan. I helped the commission to prepare a report with recommendations to end problems in Rakhine State.

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

Just over two decades after the genocide against the Tutsi in which more than a million people were killed, Rwanda has been progressing well in terms of restoring peace. Justice has been made a priority, there has been a constant support programme for survivors, and economic development has been rated as one of the fastest in Africa. However, the consequential effects of the genocide persist. Genocide ideology related crimes occur occasionally; the FDLR militia group operating in Democratic Republic of Congo is still a threat to the peace process in Rwanda as they propagate the denial of the genocide and sometimes attack Rwandans. Additionally, some of the suspected masterminds of the genocide are still in different other countries and have not yet faced justice. While Rwanda celebrates the peace progress, the volatility of peace in the Great Lakes Region of Africa still causes many to doubt the stability of peace in Rwanda. The number of refugees and refugee camps that keep growing in numbers each year are a case in point. In short, Rwanda is progressing well with peacebuilding, yet with a lot of remaining challenges to sort out for a much more sustainable peace.

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

With the mission to halt the intergenerational transmission of hatred, my foundation – the Hyppolite for Peace Foundation, runs educative, innovative, engaging and empowering peace-building projects with and for young Rwandans aged between 12-18 years through the Be The Peace initiative. 12-18 years is the age when children become politicised, sexualised, socialised and hatred-taught. The foundation works with youth and particularly those from socioeconomically vulnerable backgrounds. The initiative provides mentoring opportunities and supportive networks necessary to foster innovation and critical expression of diverse perspectives essential to achieve everyday peace, personal and social development.

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

Gabon’s latest presidential election was held in August 2016. Since then, the country has fallen into a deep political, social and economical crisis. The Gabonese society is being divided into two main blocs, one supporting Ali Bongo (proclaimed elected by the constitutional court) and the other supporting Jean Ping (principal opponent of Ali Bongo and who seems to benefit from a larger popular support). The incapacity of the government to engage significant and immediate democratic reforms – in addition to the urgency of renewing the national political class – is deepening the crisis. Violence is gaining ground (verbal violence, physical violence, ‘‘ideological’’ violence) and having different political views is now a factor of hate and resentment in Gabon. The Gabonese Diaspora in France and the US, benefiting from the rights and freedoms guaranteed in these countries, has recently brutalized Gabonese officials to protest against the actual regime. This only triggers a need for vengeance on the other side of our balkanized society. Thus could be summarized the state of peace in my country.

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

During the past 5 years, I have participated in civic organizations and struggles in Gabon, organizing campaigns for the rights of students, debating on national television to promote the rights of youth and working with youths from the opposition and the presidential party to identify common interests and possible common actions. But when it comes to youth, I feel that civic action, if absolutely necessary, can’t reach a satisfying level of efficiency in a country where the legislation and the culture is in some sorts in disfavor of change and where the government can easily ignore legitimate claims without fearing from ‘‘popular sanctions’’. Thus, I believe in the necessity of an organized political force of the youth. I wrote a book on the necessary changes to engage in my country for peace, entitled ‘’Plaidoyer pour une révolution sociale au Gabon’’, published in France on March the 3rd 2017. Recently, I launched an organization that will focus on the political interests of our youth, which are significant factors to take into account when working in favor of peace. We are planning to present young candidates in the upcoming elections, that will defend our ideas in the political realm.

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

Ever since the invasion of Kuwait in 1991, my country has witnessed a peaceful time. We are a very small country, with a population of no more than 1.5 million people, alongside 2.5 million expats residing in Kuwait. As of this moment, we do not suffer from any wars or major challenges, which is incredible for a nation that is only 56 years old (since the writing of its constitution).

However, I have witnessed an escalation of intolerance between different factions of the Islamic faith. The majority of Kuwaitis are Sunni Muslims, with the minority being the Shia Muslims. During the invasion, there was no such thing. Everyone was simply Kuwaiti.

Ever since then, slowly but surely people have been categorizing themselves based on the faction of their faith. Whilst this is not a major issue at the moment in Kuwait, in my opinion this is an upcoming issue which will stop Kuwait from sustaining peace among the community.

On a more positive note, Kuwait has long been an advocate of international peace, with our Emir being dubbed “The Emir of Humanity” due to his strong stance on being a global humanitarian leader.

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

My charity, Raqsh, has a simple mission: educate the youth of today to enable them to become the leaders of tomorrow. I hold a very strong opinion that one of the pillars that help create sustainable peace is education. Education has the power of enlightening minds, and creating leaders. Raqsh mainly focuses on the refugee youths, as my colleagues and I believe that the youth are what matters. When we grow old, they are the ones who will take over this world that we hand to them. As some blame our fathers and forefathers for handing us a world that is less than adequate, I want the next generation to be given a world of peace. Of opportunities. Of compassion.

I believe my work has contributed to sustainable peace by the simple offering of a book. Out of the thousands of people that we have given books to, I stand by my firm belief that many of them will return to their countries empowered by the strongest weapon there is: knowledge. That alone will be a stepping stone for them to change their entire communities and help create sustainable peace.

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

While St. Kitts and Nevis is not engaged in open warfare or conflict with surrounding nations, there is a high level of internal conflict and violence. Over the past ten years, the per capita murder rate for St. Kitts and Nevis has risen to one of the highest in the world. There is rampant gun crime and gang violence. Over 85% of the perpetrators and victims have been young men between the ages of 16 to 35.

The development of “gang culture,” which pits different villages against each other, has led to retaliatory and revenge crimes. This is, in part a symptom of underlying social problems including unemployment and an antiquated and inefficient education system.

St Kitts and Nevis also suffers from unconscionably high levels of violence against women in the form of domestic violence. Violence against children is common in the form of extremely harsh corporal punishment. Statutory rape and sexual abuse of children is also prevalent, due in part to the fact that the issue is deemed “taboo” and often not discussed openly. Aggressive homophobia and violence against the LGBT Community occurs at all levels of society. Finally, political leaders often resort to incendiary rhetoric - even to the point of inciting their followers to partisan violence against opponents.

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

I am especially passionate about two areas, which I believe directly contribute to the development of sustainable peace.

1. EDUCATION: In founding an alternative model high school, I was able to address many of the issues of marginalization that face at risk youth in government run schools. The model upon which the school operates allows ALL students (not just those who are strong academically) to pursue certification. This includes both technical and non-technical areas. Learning support is provided for students with learning disabilities and a programme is in place to diagnose learning disabilities. Additionally, my school runs programmes on anger management, conflict resolution, anti-bullying, diversity and tolerance. These are models which the public system has slowly begun to tap into and emulate. In an effort to reach at-risk youth, I also regularly run mentoring sessions at the public high schools. As a Youth Ambassador, I also help lead communit- based mediation discussions with at-risk youth.

2. EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AND GIRLS: The elimination of violence against women is an essential step towards achieving sustainable peace. I am a member of a Domestic Violence Prevention and Support NGO called Women2Women. We provide confidential support to victims, advocate for stronger sentences against perpetrators and run public awareness campaigns. I am also the founder of #GirlsCan – a group of young people who run workshops and public awareness campaigns focused on girls empowerment and the elimination of gender stereotypes.

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

What a time is to be alive in Lesotho! We are a country at a crossroads. I am only 23 years old and I have lived through five coup d’etats, two parliamentary dissolutions and multiple assassination attempts on the life of our Head of State. I cannot remember a time when my daily life in Lesotho was not lived under a dark cloud of impending civil war!

This mountainous enclave is affectionately known across the Southern African region as the Kingdom in The Sky for its breathtaking landscape. However, at times the country has been kept at peace through military intervention by regional forces. Over the past five years; politically-motivated extrajudicial killings have become the order of the day and just four weeks ago, the Prime Minister’s ex-wife was gunned down on her way home. This is the kind of lawlessness we have become accustomed to in this country.
However, the winds of change are blowing and on the 3rd June 2017, a new government was voted in, as the Basotho have become fed up with the kind of corruption and bloodshed wreaked by previous regimes.

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

The future depends on a two-pronged approach to developing peace and prosperity, we need a dual focus on the cultivation of peace and prosperity in order to create sustainable peace. Our vision of a conflict-free and buoyant future depends on our ability to understand these two areas are mutually dependent, because without either, sustainable peace will continue to elude us.

I do not only support sustainable peace in rhetoric but I am deliberately working toward that end. I am part of multiple youth networks in my country that make no secret about their desires for lasting peace in the politically charged environment of Lesotho.

I am the Founder of an NGO which is self-funded that works toward empowering youth with the tools to manifest prosperity through experiential learning.To foster a sustainable future, we must be intentional and deliberate about directing our efforts toward a peaceful future. This is at the heart of the work One Young World does, and indeed the work that I do!

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

Namibia is a peaceful and stable country. There is peace and stability along three major pillars:  economic, political and religious stability. Namibia is ranked moderately high on the 2017 Global Peace Index.

Another aspect of peace is quality of life. Namibians generally enjoy a good quality of life, but our inequality between rich and poor means that many people do not enjoy such a good quality of life. Namibia enjoys a good social structure where families and communities are supporting each other.

During my time of working in different communities throughout Namibia, working on roadshows touring my country, I met people living on low incomes and many unemployed youth, but I also met many inspiring people.  

When talking about peace in a person’s life, one needs to include sustainability and the protection of their basic human rights and well-being.

It is a basic human right for every Namibian to eat, to be educated and to be a well-rounded individual. That already falls in line with Namibia’s Fifth National Development Plan (NDP5) which aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).  

Namibia has spectacular sceneries, wildlife and a major tourist industry. In December 2010, Lonely Planet named Namibia the 5th best tourist destination in the world in terms of value.  

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

I believe that the next generation plays a big role in sustaining that peace, so we need to invest in them now. My work is primarily geared towards the arts, children and youth empowerment.

Organising community theatre workshops and giving the youth that platform to express themselves and what they are not happy with is both therapeutic and healing. Art brings people together and allows them to question things.

My work starts by connecting young people to mentoring, opportunities, resources, and exposing their minds to new possibilities. I particularly advocate for the youth to start their own businesses and innovative activities. This will give them self-esteem so that they can gain self-confidence and self-reliance, in order to gain security and to be free in decision-making, such as choosing their own path and shaping their own future.  I believe this freedom of choice and decision-making is very important and everyone has a right to human dignity.

If you can challenge the way young people see themselves, they can empower themselves socially and economically to fight unemployment, poverty, low education and ultimately work towards sustaining peace in those areas.  

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

I come from Georgia, the country that lays in between Europe and Asia. This makes the general area of South Caucasus diverse in terms of different cultures and ethnicities, which is often celebrated with pride. However, differences between people have also become a cause of ethnic conflicts and separatist movements. As a result of the continuous tensions and two armed conflicts in the last 25 years (early 90’s in Abkhazia and 2008 in South Ossetia), 20% of Georgia is now occupied by Russia and there have been declarations of independence by those states mentioned above. Even though the official war has ended almost 10 years ago, Georgia faces so called “crawling occupation” up to today, as the border with the South Ossetia gets closer and closer towards the capital. This means that many Georgians living in the villages close to the border have woken up in the new reality of their homes or gardens being placed behind the barbed wire.
The armed conflicts have forced more than 260 000 Georgians to flee their homes and become refugees in their own country. The conflicts still remain unresolved, with the borders closed and people unable to move freely or interact with others.

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

Person-to-person dialogue is the key in achieving and sustaining peace. Politicians alone cannot install harmony among the people living on the different sides of the conflict. Even after a peace agreement or a ceasefire it takes effort to rebuild the trust, reconcile and achieve transitional justice. While it’s crucial for the decision-makers to be mindful and proactive when coming up with conflict resolution policies and relevant strategies, we need each and every individual to be part of the peace process in order to achieve sustainable peace.
The work carried out by me and my team at Elva is supporting the so called third-track democracy. We try to deploy or build tech solutions that empower those in post-conflict and crisis situations, whether it’s coming up with the new monitoring or needs-assessment methodologies (please review cases at www.elva.org) or directly supporting the inter-ethnic youth engagement. With regards to the latter, our main goal here is to bring youth together not based on their ethnicity or political views, but based on their common creative interests - whether it’s having youth from different sides of conflict play networking games together, or having them cooperate or come together to work on virtual reality technologies. We have so far involved more than 150 youths this way. We try to keep our initiatives politically neutral and only emphasize common interests and the value of peaceful cooperation.

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

Peace in my country still remains fragile and deeply at risk. On December 24, 1989 – the beginning of two brutal bloody civil wars – Liberia was plunged into a 14-year crisis. An estimated 250,000 people died and hundreds of thousands more were displaced. The events of 1989 – 2003 demonstrate “man’s inhumanity to man”. Women and girls were raped and boys were sodomized, children became child soldiers and families were ruined as well as infrastructures destroyed. Liberians then committed some of the most heinous offences people would ever commit against one another. Several factors – including rampant corruption, injustice or no justice for the poor and those without ties to the government, crackdown on press freedoms, violence against and marginalization of poor women and girls, arrests of advocates and activists, denial of certain fundamental rights such as freedoms of speech, assembly and association – caused the crisis. Sadly, these things are still repeated today. In fact, they are repeated on an industrial scale. Peace can be fully realized when there is economic emancipation. Over half of Liberia’s 4.5 million population live in extreme poverty (below US $1 a day) and many are dying from hunger. In spite of all these, the people are calm. They have chosen not to rise up against the government for fear of the country going back to its gloomy and horrible days. There have been times when the people’s rights have been abused and actions that cause them great deal of pain, but we are resolved never to resort to violence or force. The mistakes made by our forefathers by choosing war will never be repeated; this generation has chosen to remain forever peaceful and continuously vocal against societal ills even when there are arrests and threats on our lives.

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

Throughout my work and activism, peace has been at the epicenter in all that I have done, am doing and will do. My activism is for women, children and youth rights and I demand that those who are the perpetrators of violence, abuse and crimes against the poor, powerless and voiceless face justice. I believe injustice against a person or group of people does not only hinder sustainable peace; it is a recipe for serious chaos especially when the system seems to be protecting the rich, the powerful and those in government. I have led peaceful and nonviolent protests in Liberia. Doing these protests, I have seen and witnessed State Police officers confront us with force, violence and threats. Yet, we welcomed them with love and peace. I have used every platform including my weekly radio talk show to preach peace and urge people to embrace nonviolence. Part of my activism is about tolerance. I believe for us to have a coherent society where people will go forward, they must tolerate each other’s values and perspectives. It is the key to growth and development. Anything that seems not to be based on the fertile grounds of peace, I don’t support nor partake in it.

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

Ranked 38th World's most peaceful country, Madagascar is shown by the Global Peace Index 20161 as a peaceful and quiet country with few external threats. However, his precarious, social and economic situation makes it very vulnerable to the emergence of internal violence.  Conflict and tension factors remain significant and include : territorial and ethnic imbalances,  rising crime and corruption, loss of confidence in the state and the judiciary (court and law enforcement), cases of mob justice, tensions related to the exploitation of natural resources and land grabbing.

Madagascar is the only country in the world where real per capita income fell sharply between 1960 and 2010 without any civil war or violent conflict. 90% of the population earns less than 1$ a day.

Many decades of bad governance are the main cause of these tensions and increasing poverty. In addition, despite the fact that 62% of the population is under 24, youth is excluded of decision-making. They are not listened, they are afraid to express themselves  and are often manipulated during elections campaigns.
Today, the same tensions, but also globalization and individualization, are challenging our traditional concept of “fiahavanana”, a concept of peace and brotherly relation that we apply at different level in our daily life. The “fihavanana” promotes social cohesion, dialogue and solidarity in the community. But we tend to forget its value and meaning.

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

At the National Assembly of Madagascar, I have the chance to work closely on the launching of the first Youth Parliament. This is the best opportunity to raise youth voices and include them in decision-making. Too many frustrations could lead youth to violence so I’m glad to give them a space where they could express and interact with parliamentarians but also learn, share and empower themselves. One of the first projects that we are going to work on is a peace advocacy campaign led by the Youth Parliament at a national level just before our next presidential elections in 2018.

In addition, as a climate activist, I contribute to sustainable peace thanks to awareness projects, trainings and advocacy on SDGs and more particularly on SDG 13. Madagascar is among the most vulnerable country regarding climate change. Regular drought and poverty are already the source of insecurity in the south of the country. The situation could be worst if climate change is not considered in local and national policy development.

Finally, as a founder of a cultural center dedicated to youth empowerment, citizen education and education to sustainable development in my hometown (the Green N Kool Nosy be), I’m committed to share the culture of peace and volunteering among youth of my community.

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

In my country Grenada “PEACE” is broken down into various categories. In terms of safety and security, Grenada is known to be very peaceful and welcoming. Our crime rate is at a low and we pride ourselves as an island to maintain our reputation as a nation that is friendly, peaceful and kind.

However, a large percent of our population is plagued by unemployment and lack of economic opportunities. This factor contributes significantly to the lack of peace of mind: not having the adequate resources to provide for our families leads to a state of depression and withdrawal. Mental peace also affects our students’ performance in schools in terms of ability to focus and participate in classes on empty stomachs.

I would attest that peace of mind is the stem factor for the behaviors and attitude of our people. Grenadians are hard -working and determined but without the resources needed we become closed off.

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

In my field of work, I use my platforms to teach and empower the marginalized communities. I use my business education background and teaching experience to help marginalized groups such as prison inmates and persons who were unable to complete their high school education to create business plans. This skill can help decrease unemployment rates and also help them be diverse in their career paths.

As part of my various organizations I am able to help achieve sustainable peace, particularly in the areas of education and counseling. My organizations are aimed at providing opportunities and safe spaces for all youths. We focus on persons living with HIV, the LGBTQIAA community and the differently-abled community. Giving persons a chance to develop themselves will lead to peace of mind for all.

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

Malawi has not had any major conflicts apart from internal pre/post elections uprisings. Other conflicts have been between state police and local protests against the country’s economic state, religious difference and the lack of minority rights. Religious conflict stems from having a majority Christian population and government amongst Muslims, Rastafarians and Baha’i believer minorities. Sexual minorities do not have legal rights and their existence is criminal. Women and girls have accomplished legal equality rights. However, many still lack access as laws have not been put into practice.

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

I am the founder and director of Tiwale, which is a youth-led community-based organization that provides economic and education opportunities to Malawian women. Our programs include business and health education workshops, vocation skills training, education grants and employment opportunities. My organization helps maintain the engine of sustainable peace. Some of the essentials of this engine of sustainable peace in a community are equal rights, economic progress, employment opportunities, environmental sustainability, and thriving health. Tiwale tackles some of these factors. By promoting women’s economic access we are pushing for equality in an already male-dominated economy. Furthermore by promoting education and entrepreneurship, we are helping sustain economic progress and also providing employment opportunities.

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

Our nation has been experiencing various manifestations of violent extremism through ethnic, resource, political and religious conflicts. The Northern part of Nigeria is being ravaged by Boko Haram extremism. The sect continues to carry out reprehensible acts like suicide bombings, massacres, abductions, destruction of towns, capturing of territories, jail breaks, etc. The South is plagued with Niger Delta Militancy, an ethnic minority who due to chronic poverty, unemployment and environmental pollution of their oil-rich region, are ventilating their grievances through violent means. In the South East, there has been pro-Biafra agitations for a secessionist state. In the North Central, the conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and farmers have assumed a deadly dimension. There has been protracted lack of peace, brutal killings, abductions, maiming and displacement of millions. Indeed, these horrific impacts of conflict, remains a scar on the conscience of our nation. It demands of us to strengthen our commitment to tackle the drivers of violence such as poverty and inequality, promote pluralism, dialogue and inclusion, build community resilience and other impactful multi-dimensional approaches to counter violent extremism. The right to peace is a fundamental human, we owe it to all to ensure a sustainable culture of peace.

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

To counter the narrative that youths are perpetrators of violence, I pledged to be an agent of peace and promote SDG 16. As the Programme Coordinator of Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors’ Network (Nigeria), the upsurge in violence and youth radicalisation, propelled our team to embark on a Youth Peace Education Project- Violence is not the Answer and recently, a National Peace Essay Competition. As a member of Partnership Against Violent Extremism, I have worked with the Office of the National Security Adviser, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution and CSOs on soft approaches to counter violent extremism. Being a pioneer member of the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign, I have advocated for improved educational intervention to counter violent extremism and also succeeded in pressurizing the government to rescue women and children from Boko Haram to prevent radicalisation. As a committed member of the Peace and Security Forum, through my community work, I have promoted interfaith and interethnic dialogue and peace in our heterogeneous nation, while countering violent extremist narratives. Prison is a hotbed for radicalisation, through my interventions in the prison, I assist inmates while in incarceration to acquire needed social, economic skills and re-integration into the society after incarceration.

What are your views on the state of peace in your country you will represent?

Papua New Guinea held its National Elections in July this year, which were the worst coordinated national elections in its history; I witnessed conflicts and election-related violence resulting in many ordinary citizens being wounded, several deaths in major provincial towns and families being displaced or exiled from communities.

This is one of the reasons why Papua New Guinea is often labelled as potentially the worst place in the world with an eye to gender-based violence, where 70% of children in the country suffer from physical abuse, 50% face family violence and two thirds of women suffer from domestic violence every day. The education system pushes out 20.000 students from high school each year who fall into the misery of unemployment where the “youth bulge” is prone to be involved in criminal activities and substance and alcohol abuse hence contributing to the cycle of violence. Police brutality adds to these actions of violence.

Discrimination against LGBTQI persons and persons living with disabilities is common and rights and freedom of movement, speech, expression and participation in society for these marginalized groups is often limited. Equality is craved by those who have are living in deep rural areas where basic services can only be met by walking for two weeks to reach the nearest town to have access.

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

I believe that development and peace go hand in hand and that violence and corruption should not be encouraged from the basic unit in family circles up to the government levels at large.

Consistent Advocacy
I will continue what I have been doing during the past 7 years, advocating the message of just, peaceful and inclusive Societies stipulated in SDG16. I am privileged to have been the country’s first ever Digicel Foundation “Young Men of Honour” Award recipient, a campaign against violence that recognizes ordinary men that do extraordinary things in contributing positively to the development of society. This advocacy work targets three levels:

• Individuals – changing the mindset of citizens that not all men and young men in Papua New Guinea are perpetrators of violence and that men can also be champions to stand with women in standing against violence
• Community – advocating for the role of communities to work closely together with their village councillors, village chiefs, clansmen and churches about upholding values and traditions that encourage respect, love, peace and harmony and recognize the value of each individual.
• Institutions – Training law enforcers on human rights, legislations and code of conduct. I conduct seminars for parliamentarians through parliamentary committee groups on the role of institutions in the peacebuilding process.

Encourage Partnerships
Acknowledging SDG 17, I commend the great initiatives and efforts that are done by other individuals and organizations that have already established programs for the same cause. I believe working together through partnerships and capitalizing on existing mechanisms and respecting each other’s reach without duplicating roles is important. United together, we can achieve a lot through public-private partnerships.

• International Level - As part of the Commonwealth Youth Council, I would also like to extend our invitation to other international organizations to support our #IAmAble Campaign, our 9 different youth networks and join hands for future initiatives.
• Regional Level - I would like to encourage all Pacific organizations to partner with the Pacific Youth Council to fight against corruption and domestic violence in the Pacific.
• National Level - I wish to strengthen partnerships with youth organizations and agencies to collaboratively make efforts towards peacebuilding with the National Youth Development Authority as the custodian of youth in the country backed by legislation.

Create an Intergenerational and Partnership Dialogue
I will continue utilizing different spaces and organizing forums to create dialogue with the current generation: the generation that has the knowledge to build a peaceful Papua New Guinea.

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

I would like to believe that Malaysia is a rather peaceful country. While known as a very diverse nation and a melting pot of many races and religions – we have long gone past the bloodshed due to racial disharmony that took place on 13th May 1969 and have now learned to embrace each other’s culture and even celebrate special occasions together. However, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in the country to promote equality, peace, harmony and mutual understanding amongst one another. There is evident inequality that’s rampant in the country causing disparity and hence there is often tension felt and many are unhappy.

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

One of the main objectives of my organization Refuge For The Refugees is education and youth empowerment. We believe in not just educating and empowering refugees, but our youths as well. We believe in trying to bridge the gap amongst the privileged and underprivileged, and we are therefore teaching the privileged to view the underprivileged as equals and empowering them, instead of feeling sorry for them and looking down on them. To date, and now in our 5th year running, we have 35 schools under our umbrella, ran and spoke at close to a 100 workshops, trainings and awareness campaigns as well as empowered close to 500 campus students to work with refugee communities

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

In general Seychelles is a peaceful nation, as there has not been any internal strife or external conflict over the last 30 plus years. However in the recent years there has been some emerging areas of conflict around race and ethnicity, religion and the decriminalisation of sodomy also saw an increase in anti-LGBTI sentiments. As such even if the country is not involved in any conflicts there are elements of division in the country that poses a challenge to national cohesion.

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

The organisation that I represent LGBTI Sey, focuses on human rights promotion in general and in our work we try to emphasise that the different groups we represent are primarily citizens of Seychelles first. By highlighting this link it ensures that the focus is on affirming the rights of each citizen regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. We aim to support each of our members so that they can all accede to their rights and enjoy all of this benefits of being a citizen. In order to achieve this we actively participate in national debates on a wide range of issues from gender and sexual reproductive health to workshops promoting democracy. We believe that being involved in this variety events and activities will allow us to be better able to influence national policies and debates and promote the visibility and inclusion of LGBTI persons.

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

Guatemala is a country with high rates of violence, mainly between young people. Guatemala is also affected by high levels of poverty, malnutrition, lack of access to education and corruption. Globally, the economic impact of violence was $ 14.3 trillion PPP in 2016, equivalent to $ 1,953 per person per year (Global Peace Index 2016). Many of these problems are linked to the lack of opportunities for the population.

The principal potential lies in our young strength: the age structure of Guatemala shows that in 2016, 21.8% of the total population were young people under 25 years of age (CIA, 2016). A plethora of opportunities! A window of hope! For me, the key to promoting peace and stability as a prerequisite for the promotion of economic development is investment in young people. How? Creating an attractive scenario where we, young people, can open up creative avenues and contribute more to the improvement of services and scientific development as well as to the creation of job opportunities

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

Collaboration between various organizations and actors (NGOs, government agencies, universities, farmers' groups, and civil society) is one of the important pillars for the movement to combat malnutrition and hunger to which I am committed in Guatemala with my organisation BioFORT. Malnutrition is a national health problem that affects the well-being of the population, so "embarking together" on the fight against it is one of the greatest opportunities to find harmony and to be able to help those who suffer from this disease. The collaboration does not see race, age, sex, condition, but only seeks to unite different forces to build a prosperous future. The main thing that I have learned in my professional experience is that cooperation among us (people, organizations, government, civil society) on our own initiative is the basis for a more stable country and well-being of people and development.  The committed fight against the malnutrition and hunger through the union of organizations in the scaling up of biofortified crops in Guatemala confirms that there is a high interest for the well-being of our country.

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

The colors of my country’s flag are green representing fertility and farming, red representing what we have been through from past wars and white representing peace. Peace has been the state of the Sultanate of Oman since 1970.

Tranquility is usually difficult to fathom as an image when I explain to people that I come from the Middle East. It is even weirder when a simple geography lesson explains that I come from a nation bordering warring Yemen and sandwiched between the flaring tensions of Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran on the cusp of a proxy war. It seems like a concoction destined to fail; three sects of Islam (Ibadi, Sunni, Shia), an array of differing ancestries; Arab, Swahili, Baluchi and Indian, and an injection of two million expatriate workers from Asia and Europe. Yet everyone seems stunned that what I just described is Oman’s multi-sectarian society stitched together as one.  

Unlike neighboring Yemen which has one of the highest rates of death by terrorism in the world with a global terrorism index (GTI) of 7.6, and Saudi Arabia which produces the second highest number of foreign fighters with a GTI of 4, Oman received a 0; indicating no impact of terrorism.

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

After witnessing a gap in addressing seawater intrusion affecting agriculture land in Oman. I worked on implementing the concept of Integrated Recirculating Aquaculture model farms as a solution to alleviate issues of unemployment and promote food security. The project saw the rise of 10 model farms, and is fully adopted by the Omani Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to expand to over 50 in the coming few years.

Economic diversification is crucial as Oman is heavily dependent on oil and gas for economic prosperity. While the low oil prices continue, it is necessary to shed light on other means to promote a dignified and economically viable source of income.

I currently serve in the National Program for Enhancing Economic Diversification as vice chair of the food manufacturing working group that explores ways to diversify the Omani economy away from oil and gas. This has allowed me a seat at the table and discuss strategies for sustainable fisheries and food manufacturing while addressing SDGs represented in decent work and economic growth, responsible consumption and production and life below water, which are all elements that cohesively play an important role in peacebuilding.

Programme Officer, Advisory Commission on Rakhine State

May Yadanar Moe works on the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, which is an impartial body aiming to propose concrete measures for improving the welfare of all people in Rakhine state. The Commission is chaired by Kofi Annan and is comprised of six local and three international experts. Rakhine is one of the poorest states in Myanmar, plagued by intercommunal tension and conflict, and the Commission investigates issues of development and security to improve local conditions. May liaises with community representatives, religious leaders, political parties and international organisations to facilitate cooperation and collaboration. Inspired to work as a peacebuilder by the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, May also conducts research and gathers information to assist the Commission in its activities.

Check out her profile here. 

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

Peace in Mali is very fragile. Following the recent crisis of 2012 which began in the northern regions, the peace process introduced and facilitated by the international community has allowed the Malian government to sign an agreement for peace and reconciliation with the belligerents in June 2015. This agreement is being implemented but with very little progress.

Insecurity and terrorist threats have grown and spread to the center and the capital of Mali. Signatory armed groups continue to fight in the northern regions despite the deployment of international and national security forces in the affected regions. Those forces are targeted by recurrent attacks and civilians are also in great danger of being collateral damage of those attacks resulting in an increase of civilian victims in explosive incidents and improvised attacks.

The youth, mainly boys, are recruited by radical armed groups to fight, leading to an increase in violent extremism and organized crimes in the north and central regions.

In addition, there is political unrest and the government has recently introduced a project to modify the constitution. This news has divided the Malian population and resulted in misunderstandings among the civil society, politicians, and religious leaders among others.

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

Currently working as project assistant with the humanitarian department of the peacekeeping mission, I actively contribute to the protection of civilians in conflict-affected regions. My work contributes in many ways to sustainable peace.

First, I do believe that security is a preamble for sustainable peace. Within my work, I contribute to create a secure environment for conflict affected communities. Since 2013, I have been engaged in work with not-for-profit organizations on human rights issues and in the removal of explosive hazards and the provision of risk awareness to allow populations to safely undertake their business. Those activities have also allowed to clear many schools occupied by armed groups in order to allow children access to education.

Secondly, economic independence is also a core part of peacebuilding. I am actively working to create economic opportunities for underserved and minority groups, within the victim assistance component of mine action, contributing to provide those people in need with income-generating activities.

In addition, I recently contributed to a project to fight against violent extremism in central Mali, with the objective to provide economic opportunities to the youth vulnerable to be engaged in radicalism. All those actions contribute to creating and maintaining peace.

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

Forty days after I was born in 1991, my country, Afghanistan, fell into a civil war that lasted for five years. The civil war was followed by an oppressive regime that took away the most basic freedoms from its citizens, especially women and girls. After the Taliban, with relative security, Afghans were finally able to envision a peaceful future for themselves, but in the following years, attacks by Taliban and other terrorist groups have targeted the most vulnerable civilian populations in the country. In fact, the first six months of 2017 were the deadliest yet for Afghan civilians who lost their lives not only to attacks by the Taliban but also to airstrikes carried out by the United States. While we are no longer living in daily war with marked battlefields, we are far from having a peaceful country. People refuse to say Afghanistan is a warzone, but it is because our definition of a warzone is outdated. Warzones no longer come with battlefronts. Terrorist groups have turned every street corner, bazaar, and neighborhood into a battlefield. For many Afghans like me who were born, have grown up and live in war, a peaceful Afghanistan seems like a distant dream.

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

Around the world, sustainable peace is impossible without women’s meaningful participation. Research shows that when women are involved, peace agreements are 30% more likely to last. Experiences from Ireland, Liberia and Guatemala have shown that women peacemakers are more likely to work for peace across racial, ethnic, and political party lines. One of the obstacles to peace in Afghanistan is that the voices of women are sidelined and silenced and our needs are not taken into account in negotiations and policies. As the Founder and Director of Free Women Writers, my work is focused on highlighting and amplifying the voices of women to promote peace in every aspect of society - from the home to the nation-state. I believe the nation-state will not achieve peace unless the home is at peace. In Afghanistan, gender-based discrimination, radicalism, and terrorism are incredibly intertwined and for as long as 87% of Afghan women face violence at home, peace in the nation-state is but a slogan. By advocating against gender-based violence, radicalism and discrimination against women and by using women’s stories as a tool for advocacy for peace and progress in Afghanistan, I hope to bridge the gap between governmental authorities and international influencers and the authentic voices of Afghan women.

My views on the state of peace in the country I will be representing at the One Young World Summit.

It’s been almost seven years since Guinea’s first democratic presidential elections following the massacre in 2009 that took my loved ones lives and almost took mine. However, political tensions still linger and many people are still trapped in fragile circumstances with less economic prosperity and less political representation (Please note: the youth has no representation.). Thus, I believe, as a country, we have a long way to go to achieve justice and secure a lasting peace.

How I am contributing to create a sustainable peace in my Country.

In my capacity as a Global Youth Ambassador at Theirworld, through my three-year peace-building initiative, I am working with youth-based organizations in Guinea to educate the youth on their civil duties and the need for a peaceful way to engage in politics and in communicating their concerns. I hold peacebuilding workshops in universities and talks in youth centers around the country. Moreover, I am engaged in serious talks with the government to provide a platform to include youth in the decision-making process, and we are starting by creating a national youth council.

I believe no country can achieve a sustainable peace when more than half of its female population does not have access to education. That's why I founded “The Girl Child," a project which aims to help parents to send their girl children to school. With this project we are informing girls about gender-related matters but we are also sponsoring girls to go through primary and secondary school education. Our aim is to send at least 200 girls to school by the end of 2018. So far, we are helping over 50 girls through primary school.

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

The state of peace in Vanuatu is not bad as that of its neighboring Pacific island countries. Conflicts and violence are not too common, even though they are evident. Historically most disputes, either between individuals at the village level or between different islands, have been resolved traditionally. The country has the formal courts and the informal courts that deal with disputes and violence. Crimes such as murder and robbery are not common, although there have been notable cases in the country’s capital recently. However, violence against women and girls, particularly sexual violence and assault, is still common in Vanuatu. Extreme use of social media such as Facebook to trigger conflict and violence is also an emerging issue. Another issue of concern is Vanuatu’s politics. Vanuatu is known for its history of political instability, which triggers corruption and erodes public’s trust in the country’s government. Lastly, in terms of food security and economic status, 80% of Vanuatu lives in the rural areas where they have a traditional lifestyle. Therefore, they live on subsistence farming.

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

I have been an active youth leader empowering disadvantaged youths to learn and raise awareness on legal issues affecting young people as well as the society at large. Since sexual violence is an emerging issue hindering peace particularly for women, I was part a group of young people that mobilized and facilitated trainings and community awareness sessions on laws regarding sexual violence. By providing particularly young people with this information, they can make informed choices that would contribute to making their communities safer. Further, I have also been a coordinator with a sport for development program, running minor ball games and raising awareness among children under the age of 15 in various primary schools in Port Vila. When these children grow up, they will be more aware of gender issues and have an appreciation of gender equality as a means to lasting peace and prosperity. For instance, during my term as the student body academic chairperson of the University of the South Pacific in Vanuatu, I initiated a scholarship scheme aimed at sponsoring a course for financially disadvantaged students. Since universal access to education is a way to enjoy lasting peace by eradicating inequality, I am sure initiatives like this have a positive impact on people in terms of equipping them with knowledge and skills to contribute to sustainable development in their communities and countries.

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

Guinea-Bissau is a country that fights for the promotion of sustainable peace. This work is done through civil society organizations, which collaborate with the different governments of the country so that we will actually produce effective, effective and lasting results. Although difficult in view of Guinea-Bissau's current political and administrative context, it is possible to increase the impact of the work carried out by these organizations in order to ensure their sustainability. At present there is security for all Guineans. National and foreign citizens live in a multi-religious culture where there is no racial and ethnic discrimination, but respect for one's beliefs. Political parties are fighting for the affirmation of a balanced development, judicial authorities are committed to the affirmation of transparent justice and the executive power is concerned with the laws of local authorities in order to bring public services closer to citizens residing in the different corners of the country regardless of geographical location.

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

My organisations TODONKA'N NAYAG and AFATAWEMA and my work related to this can contribute to sustainable peace in Guinea-Bissau by empowering young people with high and potential leadership skills in entrepreneurship and leadership and involving state and private entities so that we can work on a synergy that is a world of young people capable of creating positive change in the communities in which they are inserted.

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

One hundred and nine nuclear weapons were discharged by the U.S. near a remote nation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Bewildered families moved from one island to another in hope of returning back to their homeland one day, putting all of their trust into the promises of the Americans. Fatal birth defects, burnt skin, new diseases and cancer: all outcomes of this traumatic mark in history. Nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands has drastically affected the Marshallese people economically, mentally, emotionally and physically. Unfortunately, these effects have influenced younger generations as it gets passed down through palimpsests of stories told by elders. In all these stories, there is a common understanding that the U.S. and its testing program has not only pulverized the home of many, but it has also dismantled many factors of their culture, including theft of the small nation’s future. The promise of peace and the return to their beautiful islands was broken and till this day there is a sense of a lost mentality due to a huge part of culture being bombed away.

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

Working at a youth-focused NGO alongside other youth provides a sense of inspiration as well as hope for the future of Marshallese peers. Being active in youth community outreach programs in outer islands and local villages has taught me a lot about my culture more than any history book could. I strongly believe that to achieve sustainable peace, one must truly understand the culture and customs of the people. Youth to Youth in Health works closely with various local organizations that teach the Marshallese the importance of learning traditional ways. This includes Waan Aelon in Majol (WAM), a training program that is open to teach all about traditional navigation/canoes, carving traditional tools and weaving mats. Since the nuclear testing, the sense of a strong culture has been dismantled and working where I work and doing what we do combats this lost mentality that the nuclear war has burdened our people with. To understand that your people work hard to keep your culture alive in itself contributes to the sustainable peace that was taken away from us.

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

Paraguay’s social and political stability have become increasingly fragile starting in 2012. Respect for the rule of law and, most importantly, the Constitution have since become secondary to political interests. This was evident in how Congressmen, led by the President, broke laws and rules as they attempted to modify the Constitution to allow for re-election. Furthermore, inequality is high and poverty has increased for the first time in a decade. The right to information law enacted in 2014 remains a legal achievement without real social impact. Paraguay advanced in openness but is far from transparency.
A guerrilla group by the name of “Ejército del Pueblo Paraguayo” (Paraguayan People’s Army) operates freely in the north-east of Paraguay, where the government has historically been absent. Three men are held captive by this rebel group, one of them for over three years. The guerrilla’s power is closely linked to other great problems in Paraguay: drug trafficking and money laundering. Local and international news outlets have exposed many Congressmen’s close ties to drug trafficking, a situation that directly influences the state of democracy and the room for corruption in politics.
There is social tension in the air as we approach our 2018 presidential elections.

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

The current shrinking of civic space and the distrust in democratic institutions make access to information, social accountability, and transparency essential to political and social stability. The Fourth Industrial Revolution will fundamentally alter the meaning of democracy and participation. As I have proposed in one of my research publications, politics and even democracy have very different meanings for the younger, tech-savvy generation. What is more, the anachronism of traditional democratic institutions and governance created for the 18th and 19th centuries alienate participation, benefiting and empowering established groups with vast resources at the expense of the majority.
For those reasons, I believe my work strengthening the demand side of governance by working with high school and university students contributes to sustainable peace. My projects use civic education, technology, and grassroots mobilization to enable young leaders to wield power strategically and promote change by demanding accountability from government, particularly in the education sector. I believe this is how we can re-open the door for youth engagement in shaping sustainable and peaceful societies in their own image and according to their needs. Through the work of the anti-corruption organization I lead, we aim to innovate political action to promote change.

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

Gladly, after more than 33 years of civil war, which followed a tough ‘’fight’’ for national independence, my country, Angola, has since 2002 experienced years of silenced weapons. Now, I am very careful to define that as “years of silenced weapons” because I believe that after so many years of a war that killed thousands and injured millions, Angola is currently facing a different type of war.

It is one which does not involve triggers and guns thankfully, but perhaps the worst side effects of it, which include corruption, extreme capitalism, illiteracy, lack of sanitation, electricity, unemployment and access to healthcare. Angola has since 2015 been infamous for being the ‘’deadliest country for kids’’ after UNICEF revealed that Angola was ranked #1 in the world ranking of child mortality (children who die before the age of 5).

Nonetheless, not all aspects are bad in this equation. Alongside with the negatives above-mentioned, Angola has been experiencing the rather slowly, but imminent, benefits of democracy. The timid voices of the young society, in particular, loud through the medium of social media, have been shaping the old ways of governance in a positive way.
Therefore, at One Young World, I will be not only representing the ‘’state of peace’’ in Angola by showing the negatives, but also how my generation is fighting to address such issues by using all available resources.

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

My job with Jovens da Banda (the first independent young media outlet in Angola) is to disseminate information to the youth providing credible news, breaking propaganda messages from the state media, and at the same time forming and educating them. This happens through several channels:
A news agency which is responsible for broadcasting daily news on socio-economic factors which have mainly direct effect to our youth (www.jovensdabanda.co.ao).
A monthly magazine which is responsible for finding young Angolans who are making a difference in various sectors. The magazine is distributed in local universities and other points of reference in the capital city, Luanda.
Events that motivate the Angolan youth, usually by allowing those youngsters who had a spot at the magazine to show live their crafts.
A radio show which broadcasts to a national audience every Saturday in the country’s third biggest radio station.

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

I believe peace has always been among humanity's highest values. In my country, a decisive step towards peace will be reached when the government, the private sector, the civil society and the citizens will work hand by hand to reduce poverty and achieve equal human rights and advocate for conflict prevention.

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

I am preparing the implementation of an education center that will boost children’s self-confidence and offer them activities in arts, sciences, reading and writing. I want to develop the concept of extra-curricular activities in Mauritania to develop children’s civic responsibility and capacity-building. I believe that children need to have after-school centers where they can experience what they learn in traditional schools. This way of learning can also develop their civic responsibility and leadership. I hope that the Ministry of Education will understand the added value and the positive impact of such an educational framework and integrate it in the national education strategy. My experience at the UN, as a teacher and with the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Mauritania helped me to understand the development needs in my country. I am currently developing the most appropriate model for the Mauritanian context. The aim is to teach children how to share, to believe in their passions, their dreams, and to live together without distinctions of race, gender, religion and disabilities.

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is a post-conflict society and still faces challenges in peacebuilding. After the Balkan Wars of 1990s, where B&H was influenced and suffered the most, 22 years after the war ended the country still faces deep ethnic divisions as the result of different religious affiliations of its citizens. The source of division was a rise in ethno-nationalistic politics and bad political leadership in the beginning of the 1990s, a bad economic situation in former Yugoslavia in that time, and a struggle of the majority of the 6 Yugoslav member states for independence. The 3.5 years long armed conflict (1992-1995) was the unfortunate peak of that – 100,000 people were killed, more than a million displaced, and hundreds of thousand young lives destroyed as the result of it.

The three constituent peoples who live in B&H today (Bosnians, Serbs and Croats) have different points of view on the past war, some stating it was aggression by Serbia (and sometimes also Croatia), civil war, or mix of both. Ethnic affiliations are equalized with religious affiliation which deepens the existing animosities between citizens even more, the only thing distinguishing them from one another being their names. Even though certain ethnic groups are in a favorable position -guaranteed by the constitution (Dayton Peace Agreement article 4) - in comparison to “others” (national minorities and those who do not declare themselves as part of any ethnic group), they still present themselves as the most threatened of all different groups. The politics of division and “fear of others” is still in progress and mainstreamed on all three sides. The minorities are highly marginalized, corruption is a pattern of normal behavior, misuse of public funds is tolerated and never sanctioned, and 1 out of 5 citizens (22%) live below the poverty line. People want to see progress and to live better, while politicians are practicing hate speech and strengthening divisions among them to preserve the feeling that we live “at the edge of a new war” and spread fear among citizens. Politics that led us through 1990s, politics that are directly responsible for millions of lives destroyed, politics that are a complete failure in after-war period and right-wing, nationalistic politics are still in practice and these days seems stronger than ever before.

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

Not everything is negative and pessimistic. There are many citizens in B&H who strive to live free of fear, who are ready to face the past, and who travel, meet and hang out with “others” who are different from themselves. The road to a brighter future must include quality education free of political influence, an objective view of past and the creation of “one truth and history” based on different views and positions taken, a joint vision of the future based on minimal common interests, a chance for citizens to experience other countries where difference is an advantage and not a curse and to share experiences, and equal opportunities for all, both regarding employment and the protection of basic human rights.

With Pod Lupom, we gathered a coalition of 6 domestic NGOs to control election process and give recommendations for improvements. It is just a small cog in the peacebuilding machine, but also serves as proof that citizens from all over the country, with different ethnic, religious and educational backgrounds and of different genders, ages, regions and political affiliations can unite for a cause they all care about – free and fair elections. The coalition has offices in 7 different cities and more than 25,000 citizens were part of its activities. Joining different people together, educating them on their rights, being proactive in advocating for change, and being objective, professional and ethical in your work is a good step toward gaining trust needed for sustainable peace.

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

The Republic of Benin is located in West Africa and shares borders with Nigeria, Togo and Burkina Faso. The majority of conflicts, mainly organized by Boko Haram, used to have some consequences in the North of Benin but not as much as in our neighboring countries. Those consequences are economic regression, insecurity and corruption.
Since 1990, after the National Convention on Democracy and Peace organized by Benin’s elders, activists and political leaders, Benin has gone through a peace process that has continued until now, and even in the West African region, Benin is qualified as the ‘laboratory of democracy and peace’ because of the security and peace which have been noted during all our recent elections.

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

As a young pastor, feminist and blogger, the creation of a more peaceful society depends firstly on my inner peace. If you don't have peace on the inside, you can't have peace on the outside.  Through meditations and sharing of experiences, I have developed a high level of inner peace.Furthermore, I work with young people at the grassroots level and since the age of 19, I have been advocating for women’s empowerment and gender equality. Two years ago I founded the SOHOUTOU Initiative, a regional NGO that advocates for young people’s rights, gender equality, social justice and sustainable education. In 2015, my team and I organized the first political national consultation on young women’s participation and leadership in political parties in Benin. I currently serve as a Social Media Expert, and Consultant on Gender Affairs and FEMNET Focal Point in Benin​ (The African Women Network for Development and Communication). 

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

My country, Bolivia, is characterized by its high-tension democracy. This means that strikes, hunger strikes, street protests, ultimatums, etc. are part of our daily life (especially for the ones who live in La Paz). As a result, the state of peace is not stable. We might not have an armed conflict; however there is a constant polyphony of social conflicts. The streets have become the scenario of different social actors and organizations, which pressure in order to defend their interests, demands and express their annoyance. The social conflicts tend to arise faster than before. Furthermore, the way they are managed isn´t conciliatory in the beginning, provoking resentment in some cases and making the process even more difficult.

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

I previously worked for the Unit of Governance of the Municipal Government of La Paz, where I provided a technical insight for social conflicts prevention. I am trying to teach and demonstrate that resentment and selfishness don’t help nor improve our chances to build up a better society. Right now I’m working on a proposal: a system that aims to manage the demands of people with disabilities early, solving issues such as poor inter-institutional coordination, or insufficient work with social organizations. If this system works out the current problems, people with disabilities will have better assistance of their needs and a social conflict won’t arise soon. Furthermore, I will have learnt how this type of systems and mechanisms can be designed and applied for other problematic social sectors, and how the lobby needs to be done. This could diminish the number of social conflicts and lead us to a more peaceful society.

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

Bhutan, the country I will represent at the One Young World Summit, is ranked 13th among 163 countries on the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2016 according to data compiled by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). The same report shows that Bhutan is the most peaceful country in South Asia. The unique stability of my country is a result of the inspirational leadership provided by the generations of our kings. Bhutan became a democracy in 2008 according to the wishes of His Majesty the Fourth King of Bhutan. Perhaps we are a unique case in the history of democracy because the people of Bhutan protested to remain a monarchy. Bhutan peacefully transitioned to a modern-day democracy guided by the enlightened King. The fourth king is also the father of Bhutan’s unique developmental philosophy, Gross National Happiness. According to this national philosophy, the well-being of the Bhutanese people is prioritized over materialistic development.

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

Bhutan has a strong leadership in the form of our Kings, well -stablished societal institutions and a clear national philosophy for development called Gross National Happiness. These are key ingredients for a peaceful and sustainable nation state. However, an economic crisis fueled by income and wealth inequality or climate Change threatens the very foundation of my country.As an entrepreneur, I am currently the founder of a social cooperative. Our primary objective is to address income and wealth inequality by promoting collectively owned businesses and a sustainable universal basic income model for Bhutan.  These objectives are quintessential steps to ensure a stable socio-economy. I represent the Bhutanese Cooperative Movement to the International Cooperative Alliance and promote international cooperation to address economic inequality and climate change.

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

Botswana has long been considered ‘an African miracle’ with a stable democracy, rapid economic growth and relatively low levels of corruption. Over the past years it has enjoyed sustained levels of peace, security and prosperity. Since gaining independence a lot of African states have gone through fragile and at times very nasty undemocratic experiences which include war and internal or external conflict. However, Botswana is the oldest democracy in Africa and has never fought a conventional war, which makes it the most successful democracy in Africa. While  corruption, lack of respect for rule of law and human rights violations are all common reasons heard for some of the causes of Africa’s problems, Botswana has been an exception resulting in the country receiving a number of accolades and being termed as Africa`s shining example of stability of democracy.  However we need not to be distracted by the country`s long record of ‘free and fair’ elections and the relatively sound management of its diamond reserves. We need not overlook the centralisation of power in the country and the substantive democracy which has been increasingly challenged since the 2000s, which could be a threat to its peace and stability.

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

As a Project Officer (Poverty Eradication Programme), I facilitate the establishment of small enterprises or income-generating projects for people from disadvantaged backgrounds and rural areas to improve their livelihoods. I am also a founder of the social enterprise Tshwaragano, which is a federation for small entrepreneurs that brings underprivileged people, especially women, together to develop enterprises, engage in capacity-building initiatives and explore savings and investment mechanisms (through credit and savings cooperatives / savings groups) to foster financial stability and economic growth at community level while building on the spirit of cooperation and promoting socio- economic empowerment. In my work I reach out to women, the poorest and the most excluded and marginalized part of the population in Botswana, to promote equitable economic opportunity, inclusiveness and combat abject poverty. Through the social enterprise, I have partnered with organizations from different sectors of society, to harness varying levels of expertise, leading to greater impact in bolstering sustainable development and combating inequality and social polarization. Also, as a member of International Development Innovation Network, we conduct hands-on design experience that brings together innovators and people living in poverty to create technologies, enterprises and engage in productive activities that improve their livelihoods and enhance their local economies.

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

Peace in Belize is a questionable thought, based on the state analysis and the realities of persons affected by inequalities across sectors. Belize has experienced a surge in crime and violence that has affected the development of many young persons. Gang-related crimes and murders rampage rural and overpopulated urban districts making communities highly unsafe. We are not a post-war or conflict country but we experience a high prevalence of injustices that decreases the quality of lives of many citizens, especially marginalized and key populations. With extremely low rates of conviction, Belize has entered a new era of development with struggles such as the war on drugs and unsafe public transportation systems and routes which contribute towards the leading cause of deaths of young Belizeans. Overall, economic challenges are becoming more pervasive and leave room for injustices limiting social mobility and opportunities for communities to sustainably develop themselves.

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

My work and activism directly contributes towards the reduction of inequalities in my region. I have participated in various national and international processes developing and lending my skills to enhance the state of our country. Primarily educating other youth and actively seeking support through interactive actions. I believe that in order to have sustainable peace we must be involved in multifaceted spheres to create change. As a son, I advise my family to pass on our family values to assist persons in need and help foster a family that cares for ourselves and community. As an activist, I believe in using spaces to make concrete recommendations for enhanced societies and to train other to find collective solutions in ending inequalities. Lastly, in my professional capacity as a teacher and government worker contributing towards ending human trafficking in Belize, I believe that serving the Belizean population in providing an integral service is essential for the complete recognition of rights and dignity for all citizens.

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

The Central African Republic is a vast country of 623,000 km2 in the heart of Central Africa. It is a country constantly shaken by political and military unrest. Since gaining independence there have been numerous mutinies and coups and, more recently, a succession of rebellions, all of which have had incalculable consequences on the security of the country. Indeed, since the change of regime in March 2013 until today, the Seleka phenomenon and "ANTI BALL AK" have disrupted and continue to transform the Central African Republic leading to a state of perpetual insecurity.

Peace and social cohesion between Christians and Muslims has become very difficult, and inter-communal killings are becoming more regular in the provinces. Reconciliation programs should be put in place to facilitate peace and dialogue between the different communities. Day by day the situation is becoming increasingly difficult and dangerous in the country

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

As a youth leader and the founder of the Youth Network for Peace and Development, I guided my activities to target the youth in my country during the crisis. In addition to the various awareness campaigns I organized on peace and social cohesion, I also set up a project with youth throughout the country. This project is called Noyeau de paix and through this project, we have set up youth clubs that work in each borough for the promotion of peace and social cohesion.

I worked in partnership with national radio and television to deliver programs and messages on peace and social cohesion. Our country is comprised of 16 prefectures and I traveled to 14 of them to raise awareness amongst young people about this important message.

Currently, thanks to the American NGO, the International Republican Institute, I have set up a coalition of young leaders who work in all the districts of my country to raise awareness and educate the population on civic education, peace and social cohesion. In September 2016, I was awarded the National Youth Peace Prize by the Peace Revolution organization, which encouraged me to continue the peace work that I am doing in my country.

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

The state of peace in our country is very complicated, as we have been living in a kind of emergency situation for 20 years. Ever since the coup d’etat of June 1997, Congo has not found a lasting peace. A dictatorship was established in the country, effectively denying any form of respect for human rights. This situation deteriorated even more with the reported rigging of the results of the March 2016 presidential election and the war in the Pool that lasted for a year led to 140.000 displaced persons and an infant malnutrition rate of 25 percent.

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

My organization RAS-LE-BOL promotes respect for human rights and the restoration of lasting peace through the awakening of the conscience of the citizens and by encouraging the younger generations to become part of the management of the public. RAS-LE-BOL organizes citizen meetings, screenings of films followed by debate, door-to-door awareness campaigns and meetings in primary and university schools. During these different activities, we raised awareness of human rights and other notions such as patriotism and active citizenship among different participants. We also advocate for the release of arbitrarily arrested individuals (as was the case during the wave of arbitrary arrests following the reported rigged presidential election of March 2016).

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.

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

Dominica is known to the region as the ‘Nature Island’ – a place of peacefulness and tranquillity. As the years go by however, a culture of violence is erupting among our youthful generation. The effects of unemployment, low education and poverty have been evident in youth violence, crime and drug trafficking.
There is an urgent need for early intervention for some of the root causes of violence can lead to youth become a part of larger gangs to satisfy their needs for a sense of belonging, security and an income.
The major sources of violence within the country are the drug trade, gangs and domestic situations. All of these feed off of each other. If at least one it two of these three can be addressed adequately, then the state of peace within my country will be strengthened.
With high school dropout and teenage pregnancy rates increasing in rural communities, many of our young persons have adapted a culture of violence and conflict to meet their basic needs.
We are not yet at the point of a complete social breakdown and rampant crime sprees as other countries have experienced. However, if we don't act now, we will find ourselves continuing down that road of social and moral decimation.

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

As a young leader and youth advocate, my work involves empowering children and youth to be leaders of change. I am passionate about volunteerism and sustainable livelihood initiatives.
Through my Student Leadership Program, students are empowered with the knowledge and tools to stand against all forms of violence affecting us locally and to be actively engaged in leading a culture of peace in their schools and communities. We create safe spaces in schools where students are given a voice and a sense of belonging.
The engagement of children and youth in decision-making processes is extremely important and relevant to sustainable peace. Student Leaders are empowered in areas of human rights, governance and social entrepreneurship. My work aids in the design and implementation of programs and activities in schools and communities, where children and youth are given an opportunity to be actively engaged in decisions that affect their life.
Other programs include the I Have a Right campaigns, which empower children and youth to know their rights through creative, visual and performing arts platforms.
We promote the power of dignity – developing a culture where everyone will have a sense of belonging, purpose and respect for others. Sustainable peace can be achieved if we embrace diversity, promote tolerance and empower youth to become peacebuilders within their own spaces.

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

Ecuador has always been characterized as being a peaceful island between two war-prone countries: Peru and Colombia. However, as a neighbor to these, it has felt and endured the consequences of war and guerilla involvement, such as displacement, refugee waves, internal violence and insecurity. Currently, Ecuador deals with overall political stability but its citizens live amidst a very uncertain economic scenario and this generates an overall lack of confidence for investing, working and living here. Ecuador currently lives in relative peace and calm but many of its citizens suffer from violence and poverty, putting the country in an overall state of risk.

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

My organization YPD Ecuador seeks to empower youth to be able to make informed decisions about their lives, develop their talents and decide their own future. We train youth in critical 21st century skills that will promote dialogue, generate teamwork and resilience so that they can be better prepared for opportunities. This work is key in promoting and sustaining peace, since it will provide these youth with better chances of leaving poverty and being entrepreneurs in their own lives.

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

Ethiopia has been for a number of years the biggest contributor to peacekeeping in Africa. It is also one of the founding members of the UN and of the Organization of the African Unity (OAU), which is now called the African Union (AU). My country is a hub for various international organizations, NGO’s and diplomatic representations, which undeniably demonstrates the country’s strong commitment to the peace and security of the world. Ethiopia has also endorsed the SDGs, among which the principle of maintaining peace and collective security has been given a paramount importance. As a result of this principle, Ethiopian forces were engaged in several UN peacekeeping and humanitarian missions throughout history. It has participated in peacekeeping missions in Korea, Congo, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Burundi, Liberia, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia. It currently contributes 8297 troops, police and military experts to UN peacekeeping operations in the world and holds the position of the second highest UN peacekeepers contributor. It is the top African contributor and supplies around 8% of the UN peacekeeping force. Moreover, I am also proud to say that my country is currently a leading contributor of female peacekeepers to UN missions. Ethiopia also significantly contributes to the AU peacekeeping force in Somalia (AMISOM).

Yet last year, there was political unrest in some parts of the country which made the headlines. The issue that initially led to protests was the absence of clarity over the status of the draft Joint Integrated Master Plan of Addis Ababa and the Oromia Special Zone. Unfortunately this allowed some elements, both in Ethiopia and outside, to highjack peoples’ legitimate concerns that regrettably caused the loss life and destruction of property.  The government has expressed regrets for any deaths that have occurred during that time, and expressed condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives or who have been injured in the demonstrations.  In addition, the government has also made a pledge to maintain and preserve the law and order and prevent violence and destruction. Equally, they have urged those protesting to refrain from violence. With the declaration of a state of emergency and the government’s strong commitment to hold the violators responsible, the situation has returned to normal.

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

I am diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia. As a result I believe diplomacy plays a crucial role in the promotion of sustainable peace. With conflicts causing political instability and human suffering in many parts of the world, there is a need for diplomats to play a significant role in preventive diplomacy which stops the outbreak, relapse or escalation of organized violence. Frontline diplomats like me have potentially crucial roles to play in early preventive efforts. Currently I am also a PhD candidate in Peace and Security Studies and on a part-time basis I volunteer to teach students about sustainable peace. This and other commitments of mine can significantly contribute to sustainable peace.

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

The Cambodia of today is definitely very different from that a quarter of a century ago. Even though the armed conflict in Cambodia took several years to come to an end, peace and stability has brought great benefits to the country. The peace agreements paved the way for other states to lift embargoes and sanctions against the country, and then a period of impressive economic growth kicked off with a steady GDP growth rate at 7.6% a year (average). Previously known as one of the world’s extremely poorest countries, Cambodia is now categorized by the UNDP as a lower middle-income country. Billions of dollars in aid have been put into rebuilding and restructuring. However, I am of the opinion that the economic benefits of peace, stability, and foreign investment are not shared equally among all Cambodians. Cambodia’s two main political parties deeply distrust each other, and the law - while it might adequately protect most human rights and fundamental freedoms on paper - has been used to silence advocates of freedom of expression. In short, not all Cambodians enjoy genuine equality before the law without discrimination. There is undoubtedly room for improvement and development, and there are lessons that need to be learnt for the country to go forward.

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

I believe that my work and (media) activism have been helping to open up Cambodia’s society, engage a lot of young people in media advocacy work (training hundreds of Cambodians and others in blogging and social media) and reducing the fear to speak up about important issues in the country. We need to cultivate and nurture a system in which people can have healthy debates and they can appreciate differences in opinions.

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

The Comoros is a country formed of four islands (Anjouan, Grande Comore, Mayotte (Occupied by France) and Moheli). The country has faced political and socio-economic instability since its independence in 1975. These include four coups d’etat whereby three presidents were assassinated. The last coup d’etat was in 1999, two years after Anjouan was separated from the two other islands (Grande Comore and Moheli) and lasted for ten years until the Comorian army and the African Union intervened to overthrow the separatist leaders who reigned in Anjouan. Because of its social cohesion and cultural gatherings, the country is known as a peaceful country to live in, but its political and socio-economical challenges including extreme poverty, poor governance, corruption, poor infrastructures and high rate of unemployment, bring tensions between young people especially. Criminality increased compared to the last decade, and too much violence is taking place. The Comoros is a country of 0.8 million people, and more than 12000 citizens have perished in the Comorian sea of Mayotte looking for a better life. The country should not be consider peaceful as long as challenges increase each year and the threat of returning to separatism remaining.

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

Since 2012, I have been involved with the work of the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) to end violence against women and children. With my commitment to make change, I was engaged with the same organization to help set up a peacebuilding project called “Women, Youth and Peace” in 2014. My participation in this project has helped 350 young people from the country to be trained in social mediation and conflict management. These young people are the guards of peace in their communities which makes that now

there is peace in all communities. Through peacebuilding activities, I was involved in the 2016 presidential election to ensure Comoros had peaceful and credible elections. We campaigned in different communities and observed the polling stations to reduce tensions between voters, but also those who regulated the votes. To achieve sustainable peace in Comoros, young people must be educated and adults must be engaged in the learning process in order to hold everyone accountable. I combat against illiteracy in my community by setting up a community center that helps young people improve their education, and we deliver trainings to uneducated people. This is how I contribute to a sustainable peace in Comoros.

Please provide us with your views on the state of peace in the country you will represent at the One Young World Summit (200 words max)

My country, which I consider to be both North and South Korea, is far from achieving sustainable peace. The country has been divided for 72 years as a result of World War II and has not become one since then. The physically and ideologically divided Korea is miles away from reconciliation. The North regards the South as an eternal enemy and conducts nuclear tests continuously.  The recent series of missile tests pushes peace further away. The dictatorial regime claims that it develops mass weapons in order to keep itself safe from the potential invasion by the South and the US. Therefore, the Korean Peninsula is called the powder keg of East Asia.

How do you think your work and activism contribute to a sustainable peace? (200 words max)

In order to create peace or to bring a sustainable peace in the Korean Peninsula, it is important to educate North Koreans to know the truth about their government. Without having a civilian government in North Korea, it is almost impossible to bring peace because the current regime has been abusing its political power to secure their regime. Therefore, it is important to raise awareness among North Koreans to see the current regime accurately. North Koreans are not allowed to listen and watch foreign media but are forced to listen to the state media only. I am involved in information dissemination activities in North Korea to spread information about the regime and the outside world. My goal is to supply enough information so that North Koreans can choose the type of government they want. And the final goal of my mission is to create a peaceful country in the Korean Peninsula.

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

The Sri Lankan civil war ended in May 2009. It has been over 8 years since the guns fell silent. Sri Lanka has grown during those 8 years. There has been significant effort put into rehabilitation and reconciliation efforts. Reintegration of ex-combatants and internally displaced people (IDPs) have been concluded. There was a Peace Secretariat and now reconciliation efforts are driven by the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation. However, the question remains whether we have achieved a sustainable peace, yet? Maybe practically and militarily we have. However, have we managed to address the root causes of the war? In simple terms, certain issues on reconciliation, such as national language policy, have been addressed since the onset of the war in the 1980’s. However, there remain many grievances especially related to minority rights that need constructive national policy efforts. Sustainable peace in Sri Lanka shouldn’t be achieved by forgetting the past. Peace needs to be inclusive. It should be built on dialogue and the combined efforts of all communities. I am truly grateful that the brutal fighting has ended. We now have the momentous responsibility of fostering inclusive healing driven by mutual respect and a desire for sustainable peace. 

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

I believe that my work addressed, and will continue to address, both the issues identified above. On the one hand, I was actively involved in the rehabilitation and reintegration efforts in the post-war scenario. I’ve lived and worked in a rehabilitation camp for ex-combatants. I’ve looked at bridging communities across the divide. I’ve provided policy recommendations to the then advisor to the Sri Lankan president on peace and reconciliation. I sincerely believe that these efforts had, at least, some form of marginal impact towards attaining a sustainable peace. Some of the ex-combatants I assisted might always remember me. Good will, I believe, transcends any form of negative animosity. Little doses of good will can transcend any obstacle towards peace and reconciliation. On the other hand, I’m looking at working on the economic empowerment aspect. As mentioned, developing the human capital to match the economic demands of a previously war torn region is paramount in achieving sustainable peace. The social enterprise I’ve established, Stratageed, aims to provide strategic recommendations and skills-building for small and medium enterprises. I hope that this would have a larger impact in the North and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.

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

Palau celebrates its 23rd year as an independent nation on October 1st. Our journey spans from being free people, to being colonized by various powers for 400 years, to a sovereign island state. Ours is a story of injustice, a people's collective determination for self-rule and sovereignty, lives lost in the process, and finally, a new peaceful democratic nation.

While I've lived most of my life in the latter, I'm now seeing a troubling new wave of rapid economic growth influenced by foreign investors and a handful of locals. While growth is good, when unfettered and unchecked, it leaves many people out and creates social stratification. It also creates an environment for cronyism and corruption, which I believe is where we're at right now as a country.

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

My work in human rights and civil society tackles this issue with the understanding that poverty coupled with corruption will eventually lead to disenfranchisement, instability, and possibly, violence. To combat this, we need to actively sustain peace by cultivating an engaged and well-informed citizenry -- empowered by understanding their rights; by actively working to eradicate systemic injustices; and by demanding transparency, accountability, and overall good governance from our duty bearer -- the government.

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

As many peace studies divide peace on positive and negative, in which negative peace is only ‘the absence of conflict’. I would describe Serbia as a country captured in negative peace with high conflict potential. It’s been 17 years since our last war ended, after a decade of bloody war with our neighbors, and there is still an enormous amount of hate in the region, especially among youth. We didn’t go through a process of dealing with the past nor reconciliation. Also, there is lack of independent institutions, civil society space is limited and freedom of media is shrinking.

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

I would divide my contribution in peacebuilding in two areas:

1) Advocacy for the institutional mechanism of reconciliation through exchanges. For several years my organization, the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, was doing advocacy for this kind institution to be established. The creation of a Regional Youth Cooperation Office is a positive step in sustaining peace since it can help create a new generation of young people whose outlook on society is based on trust. This new generation can be a leader in positive change in the region and keeper of peace

2) Activism. With creative actions and campaigns, we are reminding both the public and politicians that there can be no sustainable peace without dealing with the past and with conviction of the criminals that have committed crimes. But also, an important part of the peacebuilding process is honoring the victims of the war and helping society heal.

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

For these reasons, I therefore will represent my country, Solomon Islands, at the One Young World Summit. The state of peace in my country is not so complicated as some of the large countries in the world. On the other hand, my country is also not a fully peaceful country since certain developmental activities, traditional practices, religious and social acts all lead to tensions in terms of conflict and peace. It was only a few years ago when there was an ethnic conflict in my country that has caused many tears, bloodshed and homelessness. Through a Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), peace was restored to the country.

I firmly believe that in order to develop and experience lasting peace better decision-making must be our focus. Nothing is established without having a peaceful mind and thinking forward. We always think, rethink, do and redo, but still set goals are not achieved and this could because of the wild kind of decision-making we engage in. I have experienced and continue to experience the very challenges that young people in my country are facing, and would like to share with the world that if the current generation is not motivated, moulded, empowered, improved and developed according to set goals, then what can we expect of the next generation?

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

My actions are based on cooperation, sharing, financial support and prayer in order to complete my journey with young people in the country. I have been working with young people and their communities since 2010 and now I know that the impacts of my work in the country have uplifted many of the country’s young people. I work according to my own Association (the Solomon Islands Youth Strive Investors for Liberty Association)’s mission, vision and goals that also align with government, NGO and private sector goals and policies. I believe that I have contributed a lot towards sustainable peace since my work has healed many young people and communities in the country. I have been promoting peacebuilding and reconciliation amongst affected communities, providing income-generating projects which teach participants to share and interact with each other based on love and peace and that can continue for the next generations and the more distant future. Being able to represent youths on all levels, in my community, province, country and even the wider world, shows me that my contribution towards sustainable is highly respected and recognised. At the same moment, I also believe in the term; “no-one can live as an island” and so to plant this ‘sustainable peace seed’ we need everyone to get involved.

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

The state of peace in my country Sudan is very complicated and unpredictable due to different causes. Conflicts can arise die to of massive demographic mobility and displacement of people affected by armed conflicts, which in its turn leads to conflicts over access to natural resources like water, food and firewood. The government of Sudan has added to the ethnic and racial tensions in the conflict in Sudan, in which some ethnic groups do have access to resources and basic services according to their tribal background and others are marginalized. In combination with the influx of weapons, it has led to a conflict in Sudan that even the government itself is not able to control any more.

Since 2006, three peace agreements have been signed between the government of Sudan and the armed rebel groups to stop violence against civilians in conflict-affected zones such as Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kurdufan, but the government itself has not committed to any of the agreements. The lack of commitment from the government side, the random use of weapons, the unresolved conflict over resource, the racial nature of the Sudan conflict and the impediment of the international organizations' involvement by the government are all factors leading to an unpredictable state of peace in Sudan.

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

My activism and work as the Founder of Youth for Peace Sudan is mainly based on the empowerment of women and youth in order to enhance their roles in peacebuilding and conflict resolution through capacity-building and awareness raising programs. As women are one of the most vulnerable groups in these armed conflicts, they face different kinds of violence such as rape, harassment and domestic violence. Their roles in the peace process are ignored and their absence from the peace process means that gender issues will not be included. Therefore, my goal is to raise awareness among women and press the importance of their participation in peace process. I have trained women in entrepreneurship, advocacy and self-dependency and these trainings, having clearly impacted their views on social work and activism, are directly contributing to the broader context of sustainable peace. My activism also focuses on youth empowerment by encouraging them to be involved in the peace process. I train young people on issues of coexistence and dialogue and empower them to empower others.   

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

Senegal is seen as the pride of West Africa because of its political stability and democracy record. My country plays an important diplomatic role in francophone Africa.

Largely hidden from the world’s media, an internal conflict has been raging in the southern region of Casamance since 1982. Cut off geographically from the rest of country by the thin sliver of land that makes up Gambia, many citizens of Casamance have felt disconnected from the rest of Senegal and neglected by their government. Casamance is the breadbasket of the country and yet local communities felt their concerns were often ignored at the national level.

In 1982, armed rebels emerged in Casamance, and over the next three decades, they have fought a brutal guerilla war with thousands of people being killed. The conflict has led thousands of people to flee their villages and take refuge along the borders of southern Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, leaving behind farmlands, cattle and other livelihoods assets. The region’s economy has been damaged by certain features of the instability, including the use of land mines.

Since 2012, the new government has shown great interest in addressing this conflict. Therefore, the peace process is moving.

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

Volunteering with different NGOs has allowed me to rebuild infrastructure including roads, schools and health centers to enable displaced citizens in Ziguinchor (part of Casamance) to return to their homes and rebuild their lives. Moreover, the implementation of those operations increased the number of enrolments of children in schools, while contributing to expand access to basic education in war-affected areas. Furthermore, it reinforced the involvement of youth and rural women in the management of those facilities by creating a wider range of jobs.

We must recognize that young persons possess a lot of energy and willingness to participate actively in development processes and peacebuilding, but in most instances they are denied the opportunity to express themselves. Given the failure of champion mediators throughout the past ten years, I raised public awareness campaigns to advocate for youth engagement in peace negotiations between the government and the rebel movement that is inclusive of civil society. This advocacy campaign enabled me to create spaces for youth to express their opinions and enhance their peacebuilding knowledge and skills. Reaching out to the rebel movement and working with civil society leaders has helped restore a shattered trust between youth in Casamance and the Government of Senegal.

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

Since independence on 9 July 2011, South Sudan has struggled with good governance and nation-building and has attempted to control rebel militia groups operating in its territory. Economic conditions have deteriorated since January 2012 when the government decided to shut down oil production following bilateral disagreements with Sudan. In December 2013, conflict between government and opposition forces led to a humanitarian crisis with millions of South Sudanese displaced and food insecurity. The warring parties signed a peace agreement in August 2015 that created a transitional government of national unity in April 2016. However, in July 2016, fighting broke out between the two principal signatories plunging the country back into conflict.

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

I am deeply involved in advocating for media literacy in South Sudan with the #defyhatenow campaign. A majority of the population falls victim to propaganda and misinformation. This is due to the low literacy and lack of proper understanding of information verification and facts checking.

See the videos here https://www.facebook.com/pg/defyhatenow/videos I help in bringing communities together by ensuring that people don’t act on misinformation and propaganda that leads them to form wrong opinions about other communities.

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

My country is known for the peace it provides to its inhabitants, both native and foreign. The tropical and scenic beauty of the islands of Sao Tome and Principe and the friendliness of the people make my country a pleasant place to live. However, since its political and administrative independence in 1975, the country has experienced frequent problems of political instability, with strong negative economic and social repercussions. With successive declines during several governments, the country has been unable to strengthen its institutions and implement sustainable development programs. We do not have civil conflict or armed war in the country, but in terms of political power, there are cases of influence peddling, aggravated passive and active corruption, usurpation and abuse of power, high legal and judicial incapacity to facilitate access for justice to all and many other issues. These problems have severely violated human rights at various levels and contributed greatly to the aggravation of social injustice. A context that undermines peace because it falls within the definition of peace made by Spinoza: "Peace is not the absence of war; It is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, trust, and justice."

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

My greatest interest has always been the development of people for the empowerment and liberation of minds, instilling in the populations of disadvantaged communities the capacity for self-mobilization for voluntary change and community leadership. And I believe that informal education has an important role for the development of the minds as formal education. And if people believe that they have the power to change things, they will do positive actions for themselves and their environment/community. My work as a founding member of two organisations, International Association of

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

Peace and El Salvador are currently an oxymoron. El Salvador’s contemporary history is the perfect example of inter-generational violence. The most current manifestation of that violence are gangs and their grip on communities and neighborhoods across the country. Gangs are a continuation of the violence cycle of El Salvador’s civil war of the 1980’s. Despite the fact that armed conflict between the Salvadoran military and the Frente Farabundo Marti para la Liberacion Nacional (FMLN) never broke out after the signing of the Peace Accords in 1992, systemic oppression and inequality never ceased, and a country that had been broken by 12 years of war, was the perfect scenario for gangs to thrive. Our inevitable relationship with the U.S. has always influenced the state of affairs in El Salvador. The current unaccompanied minor migration crisis is just a symptom of a failed partnership for peace between our two countries. A lot of work needs to be done to achieve sustainable peace in El Salvador.

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

I hope my work with Creative Associates International and Jovenes Contra la Violencia (Youth Against Violence Movement) in the intersection of technology, violence prevention and youth can provide more young Salvadorans with the tools to advance their initiatives, access better employment opportunities and support entrepreneurship in the country. El Salvador has all the right ingredients to become a digital services hub for the region, and I hope I can contribute to the adoption of technology as a fundamental part of El Salvador’s economic growth, which allows for the inclusion of marginalized communities and reduces incentives for criminal activities.

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

Swaziland’s vulnerability to food insecurity due to prolonged droughts caused by the recent El Nino phenomenon threatens peace and stability in the country. Although 70% of Swazis rely on subsistence farming, consecutive years of drought have continued to undermine crop production. The Swazi government’s lack of resources as well as a commitment to create an environment that fosters equitable economic opportunities, protects rural livelihoods and builds climate resilience for farming communities means the rural population is more disadvantaged at weathering the effects of climate change on their livelihoods in comparison to the urban population. This makes it difficult for the rural population to continue to live off the land leaving thousands at the brink of famine and reliant on food aid from the World Food Program. This has also contributed to an increase in Swaziland’s unemployment rate which stands at 41.7% as of 2016 as out of school youth who often find employment working on community farms and taking care of livestock suddenly find themselves out of a job. This has instilled the prevalence of a vicious cycle of poverty associated with unfavorable climatic conditions and low agricultural productivity which does not inspire a peaceful and sustainable future for Swaziland.

How do you think your work contributes to a sustainable peace?

Self-determination and access to economic opportunities are crucial elements in building peace and achieving sustainable stability in Swaziland. My organization, The Phalala Youth Empowerment for Food Security, takes preventive measures in peacebuilding through economic development in rural Swaziland. We build local capacity for increased sustainable agricultural production in Phalala by developing and working collaboratively with young farmers, providing them with the initial supplies, technical skills and mentorship support they need to establish and run successful, climate-resilient agricultural enterprises that can ensure economic empowerment and food security for their community. Our initiative serves to mitigate the root causes of instability in rural Swaziland which are food shortages and youth unemployment associated with unfavorable climate conditions and low agricultural productivity. To achieve this goal, we aim to establish a sustainable food system based on social justice, inclusiveness and democratic decision making allowing for the right to dignified access to nutritious and affordable food for everyone. The Phalala Youth Empowerment for Food Security’s contribution towards peace in rural Swaziland is through the cultivation of a breed of young food practitioners and equipping them with the tools and resources they need to become active financial stakeholders and ecological stewards within the rural economy.

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

Today in Chad there is a situation of precarious peace, but this has not always been the case. Chad was at war for many years and several rebel groups have repeatedly attempted to overthrow the current government. The last attempt was made on 2-3 February 2008. It was a very hard period for the Chadians and thousands died.

My country has also suffered from religious division. Chad’s population is roughly about 70% Muslim and 25% Christian and in 1979 there was a period of civil war between the populations of the north (Muslims) and the populations of the south (mostly Christian).

Since 2008 however, we live in a rather in relative quiet. From time to time there may be some religious or ethnic discrimination, but this does not seriously interfere with the course of life in my country, at least not officially.

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

I know that to build lasting peace we must build a solid foundation – that is the future generation. This is why I am involved in basic education for children in the field of sustainable development. Through various activities, both educational and sports, I help young people to understand that beyond all differences created by men, friendship is a golden thread to be safeguarded at all costs.

Moreover, I wrote also a book that discusses peace and the struggle against social, ethnic and religious discrimination. My book won the third prize at the Jospeh Brahim Seid national contest. In 2016 I was invited by the NGO Winners Generation, to talk about youth and sustainable development where we shared our knowledge and experiences about this topic. I’ve been invited several times to appear on radio and TV to talk about the environment, peace, and ways to combat drugs and alcohol consumption as well as violence in schools.

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

 My country Togo has had a series of violent political upheavals during the past few years with the stalemate being the 2005 presidential elections that followed the death of the dictator who had ruled the country for 38 years. At least 500 people were confirmed killed during the electoral periods of 2005 in Togo and that has left a very severe scar on my country. Most of the massacres were perpetrated by the army and over 100,000 people fled Togo during that period. Although the country is now calm and things seem to have returned to normal, the peace is just apparent. People usually mistake the absence of violence with peace but they two are definitely not the same thing. People are still grieving and there has been a real attempt to correct the wrong. So peace in Togo is, I believe, elusive.

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

As a human rights activist, I advocate for democracy and the respect for civil liberties. I believe that governments should respect people’s rights to speak, assembly and the people must have a say in how they are governed. Democracy strengthens accountability and transparency and reduces injustice, corruption and unequal repartition of wealth which are usually the structural causes of conflicts and wars. As an activist, I advocate for democracy and I try to fight impunity by not only denouncing human rights abuses and exposing such acts but also by empowering my fellow youths and organizing them to demand justice when we are faced with abuse.

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

The concept of “peace” is perceived and defined differently based on the background of the person you ask. If the one has experienced a war- he/she may say there is a good state of peace when a country has a lack of conflicts. The one who fortunately lived in the stable country may say that peace is about freedom, strong institutions, equality and many other aspects composing a state of peace.

I am representing Tajikistan, it has experienced collapse of the Soviet Union and civil war - these phenomena resulted in an unsustainable economic and political situation. As a person who has witnessed a civil war, I could be thankful for the vision of peace, but as someone who realizes the actual situation, due to the obtained experience and education, I doubt the sustainability of peace in my country. The state of peace is more illusionary in Tajikistan, the population is afraid of the resumption of violence that was present during the civil war and therefore prefers to turn a blind eye to governmental decisions that harm their fundamental rights. The illusionary peace is not based on the long-termed conditions and the population’s grievances can evoke civil unrest and break even the vision of peace in Tajikistan.

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

I believe that good education and free flow of information may help to take the “blinding” glasses off and find out the root of problems - this process is essential in sustaining peace. When I was a freshman, my professor introduced us to Plato’s Republic. Why was he “torturing” us with this difficult book, which was even written in non-native language? Later, I understood that book served as a fundament to base critical and unbiased thinking on. It helped me analyze and perceive information more objectively. This small example should demonstrate how important education is for having an educated and active population that can achieve sustainable peace. I have volunteered, interned and worked in different organizations and centers, everywhere I attempted to share knowledge. Tajikistan, as a young country, experiences many issues that make sustainable peace unlikely. I have contributed to the sustainable peace by sharing knowledge in the Women’s Center, where I taught about basic human rights protection and helped victims find jobs after they complete courses in different kinds of crafts. I have taught in different local orphanages, academies and centers. In addition, I do my best to make all my voice through journalism. For example, I participated as an interpreter and translator in the cross-border peace building process in Tajikistan.

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

Timor-Leste went through years of struggle to get its independence. Even after the independence, the country still went through some struggles. The 2006 conflict showed Timor-Leste as a young fragile state. But in recent years, we have noticed that the country has matured a lot. Political rivals no longer cause problems as they used to. This can be seen from the elections that went peacefully this year. However, the country is still facing issues related to martial arts gangs. This also has to do with the rise of youth unemployment.

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

Our work at Movimento de Adolescentes e Crianças (MAC) is mainly focused on the young generation. We educate young people on different issues and encourage them to take actions to create changes in their own community. We believe that empowering young people and allowing them to be important actors of change in their community will discourage them from participating in activities that can harm themselves and others in the society.

The 2006 conflict had the participation of so many young people as perpetrators of violence. Young people were used for political interests and were mobilized to participate in the political conflicts.

This is why for the past years, our work is also focusing on promoting diversity and inclusiveness, and developing the critical and analytical thinking of the young generation, to provide young people the skills/knowledge and power to be able to make critical decisions for themselves if they were to be put in a situation like 2006 again. We do this through activities such as reading clubs, discussions sessions, and peaceful martial arts classes such as capoeira.

We are also campaigning for the government to use the petroleum fund wisely by investing more on education, health, and the capacity development of the young generation.  

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

On December 12, 1995, Turkmenistan was granted a permanent status of neutrality by the UN. The status served as a backbone for the foreign policy that adheres to fundamental principles of peacefulness, non-interference in the affairs of other nations, respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-participation in international military organizations and treaties. Indeed, the permanent status of neutrality helped Turkmenistan to stay away from political instability, military clashes and civil war during post-Soviet transition years, the status of permanent neutrality helped Turkmenistan to avoid domestic turmoil. 

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

I believe that one of the ways to contribute to the sustainable peace is to have quality academic education and adopt global citizenship education (GCE) into the curriculum. Quality education and civic learning (which involves students' active participation in projects that address global issues of a social, political, economic, or environmental nature) are two very powerful tools to underlie the causes of conflict and prevent violence. Therefore, in the course of several years, I have been actively involved in youth empowerment activities at national and regional levels. For instance, in my home country Turkmenistan, I have organized seminars on global cultures to raise global awareness and international understanding, and conducted workshops on reading, critical thinking, writing skills and communications to educate and empower youth. As a recent Master’s graduate from the field of education, I strongly believe that it is my duty to educate young people to form strong attitudes against conflict and war and promote constructive engagement and effective communication. There is a critical need for Turkmen youth to understand that without freedom of speech and their positive engagement in n projects that address global issues of a social, economic and environmental nature, we will not progress into a prosperous society. Therefore, only through quality education and developing cross-cultural understanding people of the planet can achieve sustainable development.

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

In Tunisia, the country that I will represent, the democratic transition remains at a critical intersection of conflict and peacebuilding. After six years of the Arab spring, that has begun in my home town “Sidi Bouzid,” and two years after the Nobel Peace Prize - while the country made significant political progress with parliamentary and presidential elections in 2014 - it is also faced threats of violent extremism (terrorist attacks) with roots at home and in the surrounding region. The government is focused on border security but not on development policies that causes conflict in community, especially by the amnesty bill proposed by the presidency of the state that gives green light for corrupt people and save them from prosecution in addition to threatening the transitional justice in Tunisia. However, despite some of these recent economic and security challenges, our country continues to show perseverance and patience in its transition.

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

As the external relations officer of the Youth Can Organization, a blogger and the Media Representative of the National Movement « No reconciliation without accountability », I am challenging the amnesty bill proposed by the president of the state that will undermine the fragile state of peace in Tunisia. We are struggling to save the transitional justice process that will lead to real sustainable peace in our country. On December 22th, 2016 the day I was scheduled to sit for my bar exam, I was arrested because of a post on social media against the president. Fellow activists launched a campaign on Facebook to support me, and to decriminalize freedom of expression. I was charged with inciting hatred against our president because I had posted a meme on Facebook. However, I believe that the reason for my arrest was my activism especially the manifestations and protests of our national movement, as well as the legal work we have carried out to uncover the crimes of politicians affiliated with the previous regimes in the context of my work with the Truth and Dignity Commission. Until now, we succeeded in postponing the adopting of the draft law for three times.

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

The state of peace in Tonga is publicly good but internally unstable. The reason for this that people in the country are oblivious or unaware of what is happening around them. Corruption acts, inequality and many more issues are becoming an act of normality within Tonga that we need to eradicate. The way Tonga is presented is perfect but it isn’t. The education system has not been upgraded. The way they taught 12 years ago is the way they teach presently. So ask me my views and I will say that there is no state of peace in Tonga because it is being classified as “the norms and ways of our society and its people.” Things have been the same for the past 12 years. The issues are obvious and known but no one dares to take the initiative to tackle them. A lot of work has been done for Tonga but the questions that should be asked self are, “Are the solutions working?”, “Are the principles put into action?”, and “Is there any real impact?” If these simple questions cannot be answered positively then how can we say that the state of peace in our country is good?

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

My work as a youth worker in my organisation ICON Creative Tonga provides a platform for young people to practise sharing their opinions and sharing their thoughts about different things through the arts and media in a positive way. This allows them to see the potential and the impact of what their talents and skills can do rather than causing school fights and being on the street. My work contributes to a sustainable peace in challenging the mentality of young people and changing the way they see the normality of thing, and enable to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. This way, we raise a generation that would make a difference and change the state that Tonga is in to a better future. Working with young people and seeing the results come through is the easiest way to influence the perspective of their parents and seeing it differently as a whole. Many people expect to see change and results instantly but to work with the mentality of young people is a process that takes time, because not only are you influencing the “norms” of their perspective but you also help them voice their perspective in ways that they don’t conform to what is already there but in ways that people can understand. Continuously running our mentoring programs that raise young leaders is impacting more members of our younger generation for the better future of our country.

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

Although the Tanzanian government is not reported to be responsible for any politically motivated killings or disappearances, there have been several instances of unlawful brutal killings of politicians and citizens and police officers in one remote region of Tanzania named Pwani, Since last year, more than 32 people have been reported to have been killed including more than 11 police officers.

Another problem is continued occurrences of incidents of violation of right to life through witchcraft killings, mob-violence and killings of persons with albinism (PWA).  For instance, in the period before June 2016, 420 people were killed as a result of allegations of involvement in witchcraft.

Rights of women and children are still massively violated, particularly as a result of gender-based violence and female genital mutilation practices. For instance in 2016, more than 1000 young girls were mutilated in Mara region. Also many incidences of rape have been reported in different parts of the country. From January to June 2016, about 2870 incidents of rape were reported at police stations in Tanzania’s mainland.

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

Via my organization, Hakizetu Tanzania, I am working on preventing violence against women and children, I am mobilizing and sensitizing the community to establish their own strategic approaches of addressing and eradicating violence in their community. Also I have been working on legal aid and social counseling to survivors of violence.

In addition, I am working on translating commitments, laws and policies into action to prevent and protect women and children from violence and other harmful practices. Using community-based engagement strategies, I am working to strengthen gender equality and ensure human rights for all.  

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

Since 2014 my country (Ukraine) has been in a state of unofficial war in the east of the country. Some call it Russian aggression, some call it civil war, though officially it is called an anti-terrorist operation. It is an everlasting conflict that constantly takes lives of people on both sides. As it is in every war, there is definitely no right or wrong, but it is now clear that there is more politics and business in that war than any kind of ideology. The information about obstacles and the current state of the conflict are very limited, media are biased and so are many activists that broadcast to social media, essentially spurring further conflict. Increasingly, hate and aggression are spreading to other parts of Ukraine, along with weaponry and unstable veterans, shattering the state of peace all around the country.

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

Ukraine is a country with a huge IT potential, having around 120k IT specialists. My job is to take those specialists and make them work on the issues that are the most crucial in the country. The main thing that my organisation SocialBoost does right now is fighting against corruption and for transparent sustainable governance, as I see this as one of the most disturbing things ruining Ukrainian democracy and thus building a corrupt society. There is no chance for peace in the society where personal enrichment stands above everything.

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

Apart from the 2010 bombings that claimed about 74 lives, Uganda has generally been safe from external violent attacks from terrorists or other extremists.

However internally the country is a potential victim to violence and insecurities based on various reasons ranging from tribal differences, unemployment and more. We have experienced various outbursts of violence like the Kasese killings, where over 87 people died in two days during a military assault on the palace of the region’s cultural institution, and the uninvestigated murders of 12 Muslim leaders and other important personalities. The once peaceful streets have rapidly turned into deathbeds by the unemployed young people who kill their victims after robbing them of cell phones, money and sometimes victims are raped.

There is also a lot of non-violent oppression based on tribe and religion in terms of resource-sharing, employment and social spaces, which often is the reason behind violent outbursts.

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

My work with the Sophie Muwanika Institute of Art for Change focuses on building inner peace, focusing on an individual state of peace fostering forgiveness, reconciliation within oneself and eventually individuals share this state of peace with the communities. We believe peace can only be achieved by individuals at peace with themselves. By using a methodology of theatre and storytelling for peace and reconciliation people share their personal stories of trauma, resilience and ways forward. Our work focuses on healing through providing informal ways of psycho-social support, building resilience and creating a movement of peaceful individuals who, through sharing and hearing other people’s stories, bring back peace to their communities and thus empower individuals in leading and fostering peace in their own communities.

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

Uruguay is the smallest country in South America. We have free and universal healthcare and education. We have had one of the most solid democracies for the past 200 years.

But all that glitters is not gold. In the 20th century we had two dictatorial governments, the last one in the 70s having been very violent. And this was a turning point at which everything changed.

During those 14 years, human rights were restricted, taxes were elevated, salaries decreased; there wasn’t any investment in science, education and infrastructure. We got petrified seeing everything passing before our eyes with no possibility to change. In 1985 we recovered our institutions and democracy, but there was a lot to be done.

We have been facing a cultural change never seen before due to the lack of public policies and the deep economic crises especially in the 90s. Now my generation and youngers are the undesired children of a divorced couple: a lack of long-term driven public policies and an economic crisis, resulting in a deep social crisis with personal violence, drugs, poor levels of education, not enough empathy and social solidarity, is on the verge of destroying our society as we know it.

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

We live in a silent war, between the ones who had opportunities and the ones who didn’t. For the last decade, I have worked in multiple projects and NGOs which all had the same mission: foster social inclusion and reduce inequality.

Since we have low rates in education, most vulnerable groups don’t know what their rights are. Uruguay has many public policies aimed at improving their life, but most of them don’t know about these programs.

This is why I served as a coordinator in the biggest Uruguayan free legal clinic to promote basic legal services, open doors to access to benefits and promote human rights. In my second year, we expanded the program to different prisons of the country and gave humanitarian help, always with the mission of resocialisation and reconciliation. In 2013 I joined the Global Shapers Community in which we have executed educational and social inclusion-driven projects with a focus on youth.

Early engagement of kids in vulnerable contexts are key to their personal development as individuals and as part of society. Engaging them and their families is paramount in terms of re-socialising and reconciling them with society.

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

Uzbekistan is not a war-torn country. However, an absence of war does not necessary mean that the country is peaceful. I think the absence of war is the first step towards a peaceful society. Other steps towards peace are freedom of people that include freedom from fear and freedom from hunger; rule of law and upholding of human rights.
When people are put behind bars for speaking their mind and free civil society is suppressed, one cannot call it peace. I think oppression of people is the most dangerous threat to peace. Keeping people under fear has never resulted in peace. It is a ticking time-bomb that will explode one day, unless it is prevented by granting people their freedoms, admitting the past crimes and upholding the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights. We have seen what the consequences of continuous oppression of people by the state and officials can be in the examples of the Arab Spring. Therefore, oppressive regimes are not the concern of only a particular country’s people, but they are threats to regional and the international peace and order.

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

As a human rights lawyer, I advocate for the fundamental rights of people and empower people by educating them on their basic rights and effective means to defend them. I think helping people to be aware of the fundamental rights that they are entitled to and supporting them in their journey of demanding and defending their rights from government violations will contribute my share in building a sustainable peace in my country by empowering vulnerable groups and breaking government’s oppressive grab and abuse. The new regime in Uzbekistan pointed out some existing problems and one can observe a small spark of freedoms appearing here and there. Such events inspire me more, because it will create more opportunities to learn, educate and advocate to bring sustainable peace in Uzbekistan.

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

In 2015 the United Nations Populations Fund declared Latin and America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace as it was considered to be better off than other regions.  However, it is my opinion that the Caribbean, and more specifically, my homeland, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is still a far cry from attaining the desired state of peace. For example, SVG has been noted by Worldatlas.com as having a murder rate of 25.6, the 13th highest in the world. This means that for a small country with only approximately 103, 000 persons, my country has been experiencing a proportionately high level of murder. This murder rate has more than doubled over the past 16 years since in 2001 it was only 11.1. Young men have been found to be the victims and perpetrators of most of the homicides. Additionally, SVG has been noted as having high levels of violence against women, and at one point, according to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, had the 3rd highest rate of recorded rape in the world. SVG, therefore has far to go before peace can be attained for its citizens, especially young men, women and girls.  

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

Currently, I’m working on an anti-domestic violence campaign along with another youth leader in SVG, and one from the UK. Although it’s hoped that the campaign would focus on the wider world, it also hoped that it will help to raise the awareness about domestic violence, and other forms of gender-based violence that are plaguing SVG. Public education will be one of the main goals of the campaign. It is hoped that the campaign will help to empower women to speak up if they are raped and encourage a culture in SVG where women who are raped are supported and empowered. I also hope to start an NGO that will focus on empowering youth and help provide them with opportunities to education and leadership. I believe that by focusing on those areas, youth will see alternatives to gangs and drugs, and be deterred from the current culture of violence. By especially targeting youth through the education and leadership empowerment, and through the anti-domestic violence campaign,  I believe that a seeds of a more peaceful culture would be planted in SVG, so that despite the challenges the people may face in the future, peace may still reign.