15 May 2023, Freetown, Sierra Leone – Recognizing the critical role of young people in peacebuilding and electoral conflict prevention and given the relevance of youth inclusion in electoral processes, the Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) is conducting a capacity-building workshop for youth leaders on Peace-building and Electoral conflict prevention from 15 to 19 May 2023 in Bo District, Sierra Leone. The workshop will bring together 100 youth leaders from across the 16 districts and aims to constructively engage young people by providing them with requisite knowledge and skills in conflict prevention particularly in view of the forth-coming June national elections in in the country.
Similarly, the YPPD will organize a one-day regional students’ sensitization event on political participation in collaboration with relevant student groups on 22 May 2023. One hundred pupils (100) from around the Western region are expected to participate in the pilot event in Freetown.
During both events, the Electoral Commission of Sierra-Leone (ECSL) would utilize the platform to further educate young people on the recently introduced Proportional Representation system (PR system) through its commissioners.
The workshop will feature topics on conflict analysis, mediation, election observation, communication. Participants will engage in a variety of activities such as panel discussions, group exercises, and role-playing sessions. By the end of these engagements, it is anticipated that the young participants would understand practical ways of deploying their energy, creativity, and passion towards fostering peaceful democratic societies and would utilize their enhanced capacities to play key roles in averting electoral conflicts.
The initiative is implemented by the Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) with the support of the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture and Operations (EPSAO) Project which is co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
The EPSAO Project supports the ECOWAS Commission in its mandate to address regional peace and security threats through strengthening of capacities in four crucial policy areas including: Peace Support Operations, Conflict Prevention, Security Sector Reform and Governance (SSRG) as well as in Electoral Affairs. The EPSAO Projects seeks to address the root causes and to promote collective action and joint regional strategies by ECOWAS Member States to curb conflict and insecurity, including rebellions, violent extremism, communal violence, the spread of illicit small arms and light weapons, piracy, land-use conflicts, and election-related violence.
Media contact:
At European Union Delegation:
Mr N’Fa Alie Koroma. Political, Press and Information Officer
Mob: +23276741418 Email: N’Fa-Alie.KOROMA@eeas.europa.eu
At Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD)
Mr. Musa Ansumana Soko. Founder & Executive Coordinator YPPD
Mob: +232 78 198224 Email: coordinator@yppdatwork.org
At GIZ EPSAO Project:
Mr. Michael Agada. Technical Advisor Electoral Affairs
Mob: +234 703 0150799
Email: Michael.agada@giz.de
