YOUNG Solomon Islanders will have the opportunity to share their views and ideas today in a partnership and peace building workshop being held in Honiara.
The UN Peacebuilding Programme, ‘Supporting Peaceful and Inclusive Transition in Solomon Islands’, is organising the workshop in cooperation with the Solomon Islands National University, Ministry of Women, Youths, Children and Family Affairs and the Ministry of National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace.
“Sustainable peace in the Solomon Islands requires active participation of young people as peace advocates, which is why we are organising this workshop with our partners,” says Azusa Kubota, Head of UN Joint Presence and UNDP Country Manager.
“Youth are recognised across the world as a crucial component for peacebuilding efforts, so it is crucial we engage with them in peacebuilding and partnership workshop here.”
The workshop will bring together young people with a range of stakeholders to share ideas and lessons learned on programmes, policies and strategies, which encompass the broad theme of youth and peacebuilding.
Participants will discuss various national issues, mapping of the youth perspective on these issues and the government’s agenda for young people as well as the challenges and opportunities for peacebuilding in the Solomon Islands. It is expected the workshop will provide recommendations and resolution to youth and policy makers.
Supporting youth is a key part of the UN Peacebuilding Programme, being implemented by UNDP and UN Women in the Solomon Islands over the next 18 months.
A focus of the programme is giving young people the resources and opportunity to be part of the country’s peacebuilding and to be leaders in their communities.
In particular, young women’s participation is being prioritised and implemented by UN Women.
Marginalised youth will be identified and engaged with the leadership to seek solutions to barriers they face and chart a way forward to become engaged for a positive influence on the peace consolidation efforts.
One of the UN Peacebuilding Programme’s main objectives in the Solomon Islands is to mobilise young people, including women, from across the country, train them, and facilitate an ongoing dialogue with national leadership and with their peers.
“Engaging youth peace advocates is of critical importance to sustainable peace. This workshop will engage youths from various groups and areas, including North Malaita, Honiara settlements as well as the Weather Coast of Guadalcanal,” says Ms Kubota.
“SINU is pleased to partner with key SIG Ministries and UNDP and UN Women to host this important workshop and we look forward to the ongoing involvement of our students and academics in this project,” says Dr Glynn Galo, Vice Chancellor of SINU .
The workshop marks the first step in implementing the youth objective of the UN’s Peacebuilding Project and forms part of the United Nations efforts with Solomon Islands to implement the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
