Peace Direct, Unga fred och säkerhet, 2019-2022 Peace Direct, Youth, Peace and Security, 2019-2022 Peace Direct arbetar med lokala grupper av människor för att förhindra våld och bygga hållbar fred baserat på en uppfattning om att lokala problem kräver lokala lösningar och lokalt ägande. Det Sida finansierade projektet Youth Action for Peace ger Peace Direct en möjlighet att arbeta med unga fredsbyggare i konfliktdrabbade områden genom att stödja lokalt identifierade och kontextuellt anpassade aktiviteter som gynnar fred och fredsbyggande eller genom att stärka ungdomsledda gruppers interna styrning utifrån deras egna behov. Genom finansiella bidrag har de unga fredsbyggarna möjlighet att utföra sina egna innovativa, kontextspecifika aktiviteter, utan påverkan från givare eller internationella organisationer. Projektet inspireras av Säkerhetsrådsresolution 2250 om unga, fred och säkerhet och den studie som gjordes, ”The Missing Peace”, som bland annat lyfter vikten av att skapa möjligheter för unga människor att forma sin egen agenda för deltagande i ämnen som berör även dem. Peace Direct works with local people to stop violence and build sustainable peace based on the belief that local issues require local solutions and ownership. The approach builds upon strengths and successes to deliver more impact for conflict affected communities through the power of local action. The Sida-funded project Youth Action for Peace will allow Peace Direct to work closely with young peacebuilders in conflict affected areas either by supporting locally identified and contextually suitable activities that favor peace and peacebuilding or by strengthening the organizational capacity of youth-led groups based on their targeted needs. Along with a small grants programme, the young peacebuilders are able to implement their own activities, without being directed by donor or INGO preferences, and address conflict issues in innovative, context-specific ways. The project is inspired by Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace, and security and its progress study “The Missing Peace”, that among other things highlights the importance of creating space for and allowing young people to shape their own agenda for participation in the politics which affect them. Peace Direct aims to build upon the agency, capacity and effectiveness of young people and communities most affected by conflict and working to build peace. Identified organisations that share the same values and approaches with Peace Direct are given opportunities to design their own initiatives that are contextually appropriate and locally owned. This way Peace Direct avoids being prescriptive on what work youth-led organisations should be doing, allowing them instead to take the lead to develop their own strategies and ideas to tackle the root causes of violence.
The aim of the intervention is to strengthen the peacebuilding roles played by young women and men and support them to reduce violence in their communities. Through an initial mapping and feasibility study of five geographical areas where Peace Direct already is active, namely DRC, Mali, CAR, Nigeria and Pakistan, three to four projects will be initiated that will strengthen the role of young peacebuilders in their communities based on their different identified needs and priorities. Support will vary from strengthening the organisations’ capacities to providing targeted small grants to peacebuilding initiatives and supporting in-country convenings of local organisations to exchange on relevant topics that aim to build peace locally.