Youth building peace in Africa

inclusion, empowerment, action

2 October 2004, conference report (0.7 MB)

African Students' Conference 2004

This year, ISS hosted the 6^th ASC organized by UNOY Peacebuilders and The African Committee (TAC). This event brought together African students, studying at institutes of higher education in the Netherlands, Dutch students and the African Diaspora in the Netherlands. NOVIB (Oxfam), the Netherlands Commission for International and Sustainable Development (NCDO), the Inter-church Organisation for Development Cooperation (ICCO) and the Municipality of The Hague - the International City of Peace and Justice - contributed to the event financially.

Working Group Overview

The following ten Working Groups were arranged during the Conference:

Youth Inclusion, Empowerment and Action
Facilitator: Steve Mokwena, Modjadji Works, South Africa
Youth Leadership in Peacebuilding
Facilitator: Vasu Gouden, ACCORD
Youth Building Peace: the Role of Tradition, Cultural Identity and Religion
Facilitator: Rosette Muzigo-Morrison, International Criminal Tribunal Rwanda
Young Women Building Peace
Facilitator: Mulki Hassan, Free University of Amsterdam
Youth Building a Culture of Peace
Facilitator: Celina Del Felice and Hilary Jeune, UNOY Peacebuilders
Youth Diaspora and Peace Activism: Opportunities and Challenges
Facilitator: Lucy den Teuling and Rozemarijn van West, Afro Neth
Control Arms: Involving Young People
Facilitator: Arjan El Fassed, NOVIB - Oxfam Netherlands
Young People Dealing with the Root Causes of Conflict: Urban Poverty and Developing Livelihood Sources
Facilitator: Sam Owuor Ouma, African Studies Centre, Leiden
Youth and Education
Facilitator: Ben White, International Centre for Children and Youth Studies, ISS
HIV/AIDS and Youth: Actors for Change
Facilitator: Ann Ferrara, Medical Doctor MB, University of Leiden, Medical Center

Speakers

The Welcome was addressed by Professor Hans Opschoor, Rector of the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Kelvin Mukosayi, TAC and Maria Kooijman, UNOY Peacebuilders;
Vasu Gounden, Founder and Executive Director of ACCORD, South Africa who talked on The Leadership of Youth in the Building of the Future of Africa;
Steve Mokwena, Founder and Director of Modjadji Works, South Africa. Mr Mokwena´s paper was based on Youth Inclusion, Empowerment and Action;
Lyse Iradukunda, Baobabconnections/Etoiles Sans Frontieres, Burundi and Mark Kamatho Kamau, NairoBits, Kenya;
and, last but not least, Celina Del Felice, UNOY Peacebuilders.

All commented on their individual perspectives on the subject of Examples of Youth Work and Lessons Learnt. In addition, a Video premiere was enjoyed, presented and produced by Sahro Mohamed, Rozemarijn van West and Caterina Argentini; and a Youth Panel Discussion was initiated “Young African Peacebuilders on the Role of Youth in Building Peace” in Africa facilitated by Rosette Muzigo-Morrison.