National Peace Council Launches Initiative to Engage Youth in Conflict Prevention in Gushegu Municipality
The National Peace Council (NPC), in collaboration with the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security, successfully organized a four-day Youth Peace Ambassadors Programme in Gushegu Municipality (Kpatinga) as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen community-based conflict prevention and youth engagement in peacebuilding.
The programme, held under the theme “Dialoguing with the Youth in ‘Hotspots’ on Conflict Prevention,” brought together young leaders from the Gushegu Municipality to participate in intensive dialogue sessions and capacity-building activities aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence and protecting children and youth from the risks associated with armed violence.
The initiative forms part of a broader effort to empower young people living in communities identified as conflict-sensitive areas with the knowledge, skills, and leadership tools necessary to promote early intervention and sustainable peace within their communities.
Building Youth Capacity for Prevention
Over the four-day period, participants engaged in a series of interactive workshops and practical learning sessions covering key topics including:
- Conflict analysis and community mediation
- Children, Peace and Security
- Preventing the Recruitment and Use of Children in Armed Violence
- Early Warning to Early Action systems
- Youth leadership in conflict prevention
The sessions combined global research insights with practical community-based approaches, enabling participants to understand the underlying drivers of conflict and the critical role young people can play in identifying and responding to early warning signs.
Expert-Led Training
The programme benefited from the expertise of leading scholars and practitioners in peace and security.
Sessions were facilitated by Prof. Patrick Osei-Kufuor, Associate Professor and Senior Member of the Department of Peace Studies at the University of Cape Coast, and Dr. Afua Boatemaa Yakohene, Senior Research Fellow at the Legon Centre of International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), University of Ghana.
Additional sessions were delivered by experts from the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security, including Kirsten Larson, Research Assistant, and Simone Chia, MPPPA, Research Program Manager. Their presentations drew on global research and operational experiences linked to the Vancouver Principles, an international initiative aimed at preventing the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict.
Participants explored how vulnerability factors can expose children and youth to recruitment by armed actors and examined how early warning indicators can be translated into timely community action to prevent violence.
Youth as Partners in Peace
A key message that emerged throughout the programme was the importance of recognizing young people not as passive observers of peacebuilding efforts, but as active partners in conflict prevention and community resilience.
Through dialogue, reflection exercises, and scenario-based learning activities, participants developed practical strategies for identifying risk factors, mapping pathways to prevention, and promoting peaceful engagement within their communities.
Certificate Presentation
The programme concluded with a certificate presentation ceremony to recognize participants for their successful completion of the training and their commitment to serving as Youth Peace Ambassadors within their respective communities.
The National Peace Council reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening youth engagement in peacebuilding and conflict prevention across Ghana, emphasizing that empowering young people with knowledge, dialogue platforms, and leadership opportunities remains essential to sustaining peace and protecting vulnerable populations.
The Youth Peace Ambassadors Programme in Gushegu follows the successful implementation of a similar programme in Ayawaso East (Nima) in Accra, highlighting the continued partnership between the National Peace Council and the Dallaire Institute to advance youth-centered approaches to peace and security in Ghana.
