Youth participation in violence and criminality is on the high and this is as a result of the cultural, economic and political forms of exclusion experienced by youth. Nigerian youth are highly creative, knowledgeable, wise, energetic and innovative. There is an untapped ability in the Nigerian youth that can be leveraged upon if the nation will experience peace and development. They should be heard and considered as partners in progress.
“As youth, our biggest strength is our capacity to mobilize vulnerable youth and communities towards peacebuilding. All stakeholders must increase investment in youth and peacebuilding activities, be it through direct partnerships with youth-led organizations, developing the capacity of youth from diverse backgrounds, meaningfully including them in local, national, regional and international decision making, or by providing them with spaces to manifest their work.”
Rafiu Adeniran Lawal, passionate peace advocate and Founder and Executive Director of Building Blocks for Peace Foundation will talk about young people in his home country Nigeria. He will draw from a depth of experience in how he manages to build the resilience of these young people against violent philosophies and promoting sustainable peace.