ARTICLE: Lights of Hope. Young People Building Peace in the World

 

T his year, two events relevant to young people working for peacebuilding and for a society where human rights are a reality, and where a dignified life free from violence can be lived, took place. SIPAZ had the privilege of participating in these events during November: the Peace Forum in Paris and the Second Youth Conference for Peace and Security in Brussels.

Peace Forum in Paris: Reinventing Diplomacy in a Changing World

For the past eight years, the Forum has been a platform for sharing responses from multiple actors in favor of global peace and sustainable prosperity. This space brings together key decision-makers to foster collaboration among governments, international organizations, businesses, and civil society. It operates on the premise that diplomacy should not remain merely verbal, but must reinvent itself to address the needs of a constantly changing world.

This forum is invaluable, as it allows the diverse opinions of over 300 participants from various countries to converge respectfully and constructively, with the aim of bridging the North-South and East-West divides in global governance.

SIPAZ participated in a session that reflected on how to empower youth networks to defend democracy and global peace. This stems from the fact that young people represent more than 40% of the world’s population and will be the ones defining future global governance. The conversation highlighted why young people are uniquely positioned to act as catalysts for change: their ability to build trust across divisions, leverage digital tools to advocate for causes, and act swiftly through informal channels. The role of youth networks as amplifiers of collective action was also emphasized, including critical perspectives on why democracy is not necessarily delivering tangible benefits in terms of employment and opportunities for participation and influence in their societies.

In our presentation, we stressed that, for young people, peace is more than the absence of conflict. Peace is justice, opportunity, and dignity. It is the moment when young people can speak their truth without fear, and when all people are treated with respect, regardless of their origin, social status, or gender. The examples presented showed that young people in Latin America are committed to building a society free from violence and where dignity is the norm.

Networks amplify this impact by providing safe spaces, a sense of solidarity, and trust. As our representative noted, “At the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, also known as GPPAC, the world’s largest network of local peacebuilders, of which I am a member, we have seen how connecting young people at the local, national, and global levels strengthens capacities, fosters peer learning, and empowers them to influence policies and practices rooted in local realities. These networks provide emotional support, safe spaces for collaboration, and amplify the reach of local initiatives. They inspire young people to continue working for justice, knowing they are not alone.”

“Second Conference on Youth, Peace and Security”, Brussels – 2025

In 2018, UN Security Council Resolution 2419 called for the genuine and full inclusion of young people in the negotiation and implementation of peace agreements, as well as in decision-making spaces. In 2020, UN Security Council Resolution 2535 established the relevant steps for implementing the “Youth, Peace and Security” (YPS) agenda within the framework of UN peacekeeping operations. That same year, the Security Council, in Resolution 2553, recognized the link between security sector reform and Youth, Peace and Security, emphasizing that young people must participate in peacebuilding initiatives aimed at reforming these sectors.

It is in this context that 150 young people from 80 countries gathered for a week to talk, exchange experiences, and share challenges and opportunities for youth globally (see Joint Declaration on Youth, Peace and Security – Final Document of the Second European Union Conference on Youth, Peace and Security).

It was impressive to witness, once again, the diversity of backgrounds and realities present, from which we will highlight some of the ways in which young people from different regions are becoming peacemakers.

• Afghans for Progressive Thought (APT), Afghanistan

This is a youth-led non-profit organization working in Afghanistan to actively address human rights crises, with a specific focus on women’s rights, while promoting girls’ access to education through creative and impactful initiatives.

• MAG International, Bosnia

This organization finds and destroys landmines, cluster munitions, and unexploded ordnance in conflict-affected areas. It also works to limit the causes and address the consequences of armed violence in communities. Since 1989, it has helped more than 20 million people in 70 countries.

• Educating, Empowering, and Inspiring for Peace, Philippines

Invests in young people through seed grants awarded to youth organizations with promising ideas for peace and progress. Since 2020, it has provided financial support to 24 youth organizations whose programs have reached thousands of people across the Philippines.

• Sustainable Peace, Italy

Empowers young women and men by providing them with the tools to make their voices heard and connecting them with policymakers. They organize conferences with human rights activists, politicians, and experts. They promote awareness campaigns, training, webinars, and events, and publish research to create a safer and more sustainable culture of dialogue among people at a transnational level.

• Connecting Science with People and Policy through Innovation, Nepal

Seeks to leverage technology and innovation to generate social impact. The organization emerged in response to the growing need for data-driven solutions in areas such as disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, governance, and the use of open data. Empowering young people, fostering volunteerism, and leveraging digital tools to address some of the most pressing challenges in Nepal and beyond.

• Give Me a Chance, Panama

This youth initiative believes that all young people, even those living in vulnerable, impoverished, and violent circumstances, can become engaged citizens with the right opportunities, regardless of where they grew up or their past. It works with young people through socio-emotional workshops in various juvenile detention and custody centers nationwide.

• Jovenarte, Mexico

Youth Linking Territories, an organization created in 2012 in response to a growing context of addiction and violence, promotes a culture of peace and the exercise of cultural rights for young Indigenous migrants in southern San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas.

At the end of the conference, the young people reaffirmed that their participation is fundamental to transformative initiatives in their territories. Although there is no shared definition of what peace means, the young people agree on wanting a dignified life free from violence for all. Diversity doesn’t have to be a weakness; it can be a great opportunity to build peace through creativity. Even amidst the chaos, there are glimmers of hope, paths to peace, and people working tirelessly every day to build a more just world.