by Victor Okechukwu Chimezie Nigeria is known for having one of the largest populations of young people in the world, with a median age of 18.1 years. The youth population constitutes about 70 per cent of the entire Nigerian population, and approximately 42 per cent of this population is under the age of 15. This …

The Role of Youth in Achieving Sustainable Peace in Nigeria Read More »

Armed bandits are wreaking havoc on Nigeria’s north-western region, hurting communities and driving fear into citizens.  As 25-year-old Nigerian correspondent Adedoyin Ajayi points out, the situation is becoming even more complex as the criminals have begun to target the very people who are charged with ensuring the safety of others. But, what does this mean …

Who will guard the Guards? Read More »

As we begin a new year in the hold of a persisting pandemic, there are critical issues that the Commonwealth’s Youth Programme is fighting to keep in the hearts and minds of decision-makers and influencers. One of them is the peace and security of our youth. Twenty-twenty was a tough year for young people, in …

Empowering youth as peacebuilders Read More »

A blog by Mridul Upadhyay How can leaders of organisations guarantee inclusive and safe spaces for those who work for them and those with whom they collaborate? This question is often overlooked or considered unimportant. The challenge, of course, is that a focus on meeting profit and non-profit targets often takes priority over such considerations. …

Creating safe spaces for young people Read More »

When the Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network realised that young people who speak Kiswahili could not access a historic international policy document to guide grassroots peace and security efforts, they decided to do something about it. Promise Forsuh, a 23-year-old Commonwealth Correspondent from Cameroon tells us why they took action and how they are making …

Young peace-builders break language barrier Read More »

As a lead speaker at the Commonwealth Youth Forum of November 2013, Salma Yusuf, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Sri Lanka, had a unique opportunity to reflect on youth’s role in reconciliation and policy-making. It was indeed an honour to address emerging leaders of Commonwealth nations hailing from four of the world’s inhabited continents. What was …

“Youth that is not wasted on the young” Read More »

“We are not heartless human beings; we are simply [more than often] sedated human beings,” writes Denise Juvane, 21, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Mozambique now living in England. But has the oversaturation of images of poverty in Africa halted us from action? There is a saying that goes along the lines of: “we never know the …

"Pictures of poverty – do they lead to action?" Read More »

Pakistan was founded as a country of peace and brotherhood, writes Naseema Perveen, 22, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Islamabad in Pakistan. But the growing threat of fundamentalist activists is turning those principles upside down. Pakistan was established in the name of Islam, a state where freedom of choice and freedom of faith was to be …

"Threat to minorities threatens Pakistan's ideology" Read More »

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