By Isaac Eranga
Abuja, Nigeria – Forty young women and men have received capacity building training in leadership, peace-building and advocacy.
The 3-day train-the-trainers workshop was conducted recently in Abuja by the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) Nigeria, in partnership with the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP).
While speaking at event, the National Coordinator of WANEP Nigeria, Chief Mrs. Bridget Osakwe made reference to December 9th 2015 United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) which was preceded by a series of advocacy efforts from a number of Non-Governmental Organizations.
“It was passed after more than 10,000 young people called for it in the Amman Youth Declaration, adopted during the Global Forum on Youth, Peace and Security agenda which was very much inspired by the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).
“However, these frameworks have not translated into meaningful participation of young men and young women in formal Peacebuilding processes at the state or federal level in Nigeria, hence the need for this training workshop.
“This training brought together 40 young women and young men from across the states in the country and the federal capital territory from conflicts affected communities, those from religious and ethnic minorities, refugees and displaced women, women with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.
“It was obvious that most participants were not aware of the resolutions as they have little knowledge to Women, Peace and Security, and Youth Peace and Security. Since Nigeria is a country with the largest population of youth in the world, it simply means that their lack of knowledge and understanding to the agendas is tantamount to lack of proper implementation of the agendas even at the local level”, said Chief Mrs. Bridget Osakwe.
On the aims and objectives of the training workshop, WANEP Head of Program, Mrs. Patience Ikpeh Obaulo highlighted the following:
“Raising awareness and consolidate knowledge on the WPS and YPS agendas amongst young persons; enhancing the leadership and pea rebuilding capacities of young persons to advocate for the implementation of the WPS and YPS agendas; to establish a network of young persons and gender equality allies that will meaningfully participate, influence, and lead community-based Peacebuilding particularly the implementation of the WPS and YPS resolutions, serve as conflict monitors, advocacy for genre equality, women’s rights, human rights, and gender responsive humanitarian response; etc.”
The participants pledged individually to implement the knowledge acquired from the training as they return to their different communities.
