2024 Youth Engagement & Peacebuilding Working Group(YEPW) Year-End Meeting

 

From November 23 to December 27 last year, the year-end meeting of the Youth Engagement & Peacebuilding Working Group (YEPW) was held online (ZOOM) in 50 regions across 56 countries.

YEPW is a global youth-led peace working group that practices peace activities in different regions around the world and seeks practical solutions to various social problems young people face. Additionally, to realize peace in the community, it collaborates with individual youth, organizations, civil society, and government agencies to carry out various activities. In this year-end meeting, participants shared the achievements of the year and discussed the direction for the future.

 

 

Over the past year, YEPW has expanded the scale of its peace initiatives while also growing in quality. In particular, IPYG signed MOUs with various government agencies and youth ministries from different countries, such as the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Republic of South Sudan, the National Youth Council of Côte d’Ivoire, and the Cameroon National Youth Council, to more systematically promote youth-led peace activities. As a result, the number of member organizations collaborating with IPYG has increased to 1,325, and regular YEPW meetings are being held in 50 regions across 56 countries, actively implementing regionally tailored peace projects.

 

 

In particular, YEPW in Mongolia, along with its 600 members, carried out tree planting and peace camp activities, making the community a more peaceful space and directly practicing the values of peace. Furthermore, in November of last year, they participated in establishing a peace library, providing a space for learning and peace for local youth. Youth of YEPW in Timor-Leste painted murals by hand on the theme of peace journalism, improving the city’s appearance. This process attracted the attention of local media, leading to a talk show and spreading the peace message widely. YEPW in Germany developed the European-customized peace education program “Youth Empowerment Peace Class (YEPC)” to emphasize the role of individuals in sustainable peace and encourage participation among European youth.

 

 

Participants who directly witnessed the results of peace activities in their region realized the significant changes and impact brought about by youth. They had a meaningful time contemplating how to collaborate as YEPW members in 2025.

Those who attended the year-end meeting shared the following impressions.

“I’ve learned a lot during the the course of the year from YEPW. The material provided taught us how to value one’s life. I take that initiatives to explain members (from our organization) on how they can value one’s life. It was participatory and they enjoyed it. The training took place in a certain village , too. I was very happy for all the materials provided online to ensure that we are equipped and there can be everlasting peace. Thank you very much!”
– South Sudan / David Ajo

 

“So personally I feel like I’m this person who started the journey in 2024 as one of the aimless people looking at the things that I learned. I think I’m this person who has benefited a lot because I learned the things that I didn’t even know, and I thought as how someone can present and also just that the formal interaction or maybe networking we met quite a number of people that we achieved quite a lot in 2024.”
– Zambia / Salifyanji Silungwe

 

“I was happy to learn about the amazing achievements in Mongolia over the past year through today’s meeting. I was also very surprised to see how IPYG has expanded its projects and produced many outcomes through collaboration with various organizations. I was truly glad to know that IPYG organizes large-scale activities to empower many young people, and I was very inspired by your work. I hope that the children in our orphanage will also become such active and energetic youth, but since our children still lack diverse experiences, I thought it would be great if IPYG could have a positive influence on our orphanage’s social workers and collaborate with us through various activities.”
– Mongolia / Chimegkhishig Sodnomdarjaa

 

 

After the year-end meeting, the participants discussed specific cooperation plans to address various issues threatening peace in the community.

YEPW in Côte d’Ivoire plans to launch youth-led projects in major cities across the country with the support of the government Youth Committee and the Youth Ministry. In particular, in Yamoussoukro, they will collaborate with schools to run on school programs addressing drug addiction, early pregnancy, and mental health issues, aiming to help adolescent design healthy future.

YEPW in Netherlands is continuing its citizen-participation sticker painting project ‘PFP (Paint For Peace)’ in collaboration with local libraries, universities, and various youth organizations. Through this, they plan to raise awareness among citizens about the importance of inner peace and spread positive changes throughout society.

Also, YEPW in Mongolia is actively engaging in tree-planting activities to address desertification issues. In line with President Ukhnaa Kurelsukh’s announcement of the “One Billion Trees” campaign, YEPW in Mongolia plans to carry out continuous tree-planting activities to prevent climate refugees and gift a beautiful natural environment to future generations.

In this way, YEPW in each country is committed to achieving peace by collaborating with various organizations tailored to the regional circumstances. Just as small actions come together to create significant change, in 2025, youth will continue to take the lead in expanding YEPW activities even further.