Young People Advocacy Network (YPAN)

Join us for an inspiring Rotaract Club of Freetown-Sunset General Meeting as we unite to empower young leaders for sustainable community impact. 🗓 15 May 2026 ⏰ 5:30 PM 📍 Manley’s Hall, Wilberforce Village Featuring Guest Speaker Mohamed Kunta.

Engaging adolescents and youth in climate justice and peace building.

Congratulations to the co-founder of PeaceHub, the Kambia @PaBakary Sonko, on his appointment as the @_AfricanUnion Youth Ambassador for Peace for West Africa. @AUC_PAPS @MohamedKunta @PeaceHubGMB @AU_AYAPs

National discussions on electoral justice, the importance of peacebuilding, national cohesion, accountability, and political participation. @MohamedKunta #Peacebuilding #Democracy #Ruleoflaw

YPAN facilitated community and school outreach targeting students from across ten schools on topics like drug abuse, HIV/AIDS awareness, sexual reproductive health, and right and sexual gender-based violence

We are delighted to participate at the best West Africa Youth Symposium with H.E Professor Yemi Osinbajo former Vice President from Nigeria, organised by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education and Future Perspectives.

Happy International Women’s Day to Sierra Leonean women across the security sector.Today and always, we celebrate your strength and resilience.Across #SL women in the armies continue to shape communities and advance peace and development #Youth4Peace #WPS @PeaceHubGMB

We’re here! Our strengthening insider mediation for conflict prevention and peacebuilding in The Gambia kicks off Basse with an intensive 2-day training for Insider Mediators and Kanyalengs groups on Mediation and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support. 🙏 EU and @UNDP

Our partnership with the Beckman Empowerment Initiative continues to engage adolescents on sexual reproductive health and rights and sexual gender-based violence in schools and communities.

We are delighted to collaborate with the Beckman Empowerment Foundation to embark on school outreach on sexual reproductive health and tright advocacy campaigns targeting communities and schools.

Ahead of its deployment across #Guinea 🇬🇳, the #AUEOM has commenced briefing sessions for observers, providing key insights into the country’s electoral context and processes for the 28 December 2025 Presidential Election. In line with its election observation methodology, the Head of the #AUEOM to the Republic of Guinea - H.E. @DomitienNdayizeye has been holding consultations with the #Guinea 🇬🇳 government officials and other stakeholders ahead of the 2025 Presidential Election. #Elections2025 #AfricanUnion

Our #WomenInMediation activities in Foni concluded yesterday in Sutu Sinjang, marking the end of impactful grassroots engagements advancing the #WPSAgenda. With support from @UNFPATheGambia under #GPI3, we strengthened women’s participation in mediation.

What comes after adopting a National Action Plan on #YPS? Together with @kasethiopia_au , we’re convening countries that have adopted NAP-YPS to go beyond policy development and exchange best practices for effective, sustainable national implementation. #peacehubgmb #nap #yps

Session on Youth Empowerment Programmes at Continental, Regional and National Levels and their Intersection with Youth, Peace and Security. Key Outcomes: 1. Youth Recognised as Peace and Development Actors: The panel reaffirmed that youth empowerment programmes must intentionally position young people as agents of peace, economic transformation, and governance, rather than as beneficiaries or security risks. Youth economic inclusion, political participation, and innovation were highlighted as core pillars of sustainable peace. 2. Stronger Alignment Across Continental, Regional and National Frameworks: The discussion underscored the importance of aligning youth empowerment initiatives with Agenda 2063, Vision 2040/2060, and National Action Plans on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS). Coherence across AU, RECs, and Member States was identified as essential to maximize impact and avoid fragmented interventions. 3. Economic Empowerment as a Peace Dividend: Access to finance, markets, and technology for young entrepreneurs—particularly in agriculture, agrifood systems, and emerging value chains—was recognized as a critical peacebuilding tool. Public–private partnerships and youth-tailored financial mechanisms were highlighted as effective enablers of stability and resilience. 4. From Capacity Building to Skills Through Practice: Panelists emphasized the need to move beyond traditional training models toward experiential learning, apprenticeships, innovation hubs, and “learning by doing” approaches, especially in fragile and conflict-affected contexts where unemployment and exclusion heighten conflict risks. 5. Meaningful Youth Inclusion in Governance and Electoral Processes: The session stressed that youth participation in policy dialogue, peace processes, and electoral systems must be substantive rather than symbolic. Inclusive governance was identified as a preventive measure against conflict and political violence involving or affecting youth. 6. Regional Responses to Conflict, Climate and Humanitarian Crises: The panel highlighted the role of regional mechanisms, including IGAD, in integrating youth into responses to conflict, climate-induced mobility, and humanitarian crises. Youth-led solutions in agriculture, climate adaptation, and the blue economy were identified as entry points for peace and recovery. 7. Evidence-Driven and Context-Responsive Programming: Participants called for stronger investment in research, data, and local knowledge to inform youth empowerment and YPS programming. 8. Enhanced Coordination and Shared Responsibility: The panel reinforced that youth empowerment and YPS are cross-cutting responsibilities, requiring coordinated action across governments, regional bodies, UN entities, civil society, and the private sector. Youth-responsive institutions—not only youth-focused ones—are key to lasting impact. 9. Strengthened Knowledge Sharing and Learning Platforms: The need to document, consolidate, and disseminate lessons from initiatives such as AYAPS and national youth programmes was highlighted. Learning products and peer-exchange platforms were identified as tools to scale good practices across regions and levels. #Youth4Peace #Youth4PeaceAfrica

Real change requires the convergence of diverse voices. At this World Café, participants exchanged insights across all five pillars of UNSCR 2250 - effectively resulting in key findings for the Global Progress Study and shaping the next decade of YPS action 💬#YPSat10 @Egypt_Kadah @AUC_PAPS @SFCG_ @issafrica @HornofAYN @YouthinSDGs @ACCORD_online @UNDP4Youth @UNDPAfrica @un_greatlakes @UNFPA_ESARO @unfpa_syp @ICGLRYouth @UNFPA_WCARO

YPAN joined the Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs and the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre, in Sierra Leone to launch this year's 16th Days of Activism against GBV.

We are delighted to participate at the National Young Women Conference, with the theme "Envision a Transformation in Political Landscape for Young Women's Participation."

We are delighted to participate in the first national advocacy strategy on sexual reproductive health and rights in Sierra Leone.

We are delighted to participate at the 3 National Girls Summit,

Day 2 of the Continental Youth Leadership Training began with a Panel sharing country-specific experiences from #Liberia, The #Gambia, #SierraLeone and #Mozambique in implementing African-owned Transitional Justice and Reconciliation processes. The panelists emphasized the role the youth play in leading and supporting #TJ and peace initiatives. #AU4Peace #Youth4Peace #AUTJP #YouthLeadership #Reconciliation