Recognising the importance of empowering youth, the ASEAN-IPR Training: Enhancing the Role of Youth in Peacebuilding took place from 29 July to 2 August 2024, in Indonesia. The programme brought together 34 passionate young leaders from the ASEAN Member States, Timor-Leste, and Japan, providing them with valuable insights into conflict dynamics and peacebuilding strategies.

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The training featured Youth Expert Panels, interactive sessions, group tasks, and a field study. Participants, who came from diverse backgrounds including government and non-government sectors, fresh graduates, academics, and youth peacebuilders, explored themes like Women, Peace and Security (WPS), peacebuilding, conflict management, and advocacy through role-plays and group exercises, fostering collaboration and practical application of knowledge. Here are some inspiring voices from the training:

Sophamonyoudom, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Cambodia

Representing his team from Cambodia, Sophamonyoudom delivered a presentation on their action plan, ‘Peace 101.’
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Sophamonyoudom encourages fellow youth to “claim your youth identity and make full use of your potential in collaboration with others for peace and prosperity.”

Alongside two other participants from Cambodia, he developed an action plan called “Peace 101,” which aims to promote peace education among youth. This initiative introduces concepts, principles, and skills of peace while fostering peace-oriented values. The team also proposed creating a youth-targeted app to further these objectives.

As highlighted in the article developed during peacebuilding training sessions, enhancing youth capacity is a core focus of the ASEAN Work Plan on Youth 2021–2025. The article emphasizes the need to equip youth with 21st century skills to drive impactful change through volunteerism and localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within their communities. By training youth in project development, management, pitching, and fundraising, they can transform their ideas and aspirations into actionable plans that positively impact their communities.

Chihiro Arima, Reach Alternatives (Non-Profit Organization), Japan 

Chihiro shared her insights and contributed to the discussion.
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Throughout the training, Chihiro reflected on the unique vulnerabilities and strengths of youth. While economic challenges may leave young people susceptible to negative influences, such as joining criminal groups, these vulnerabilities also give them a deep awareness of their own issues and needs. This awareness, combined with their ability to empathize with others in similar situations, positions youth as powerful agents of change in addressing the root causes of violence and fostering peace.

“This training provided a precious opportunity for me to broaden my views of what conflict is, how we can transform conflicts from negativity to positivity, and what we can and what we need to do as youth and peacebuilders through exchanging ideas with participants from diverse backgrounds,” Chihiro shared.

In Japan, low youth voter turnout remains a critical issue, often linked to a lack of awareness, distrust in politicians, and the perception that voting doesn’t drive change. “In a group exercise, therefore, we explored the underlying causes of this issue and found that factors such as a lack of awareness and knowledge about politics, the belief that votes would not bring about change, and distrust in politicians, contribute significantly to low voting rates among youth,” said Chihiro, who developed an action plan to address this issue.

Chihiro’s action plan, “Voices for Tomorrow”, aims to enhance youth participation in policy making through a three-year pilot programme in Tokyo high schools. By addressing low youth voter turnout and limited engagement in policy making, the programme aspires to equip young people with the knowledge and skills needed to influence governance processes effectively and provide a platform for youth to build a dialogue with the policymakers.

Ephol T. Calandria, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity, Philippines

Ephol delivered a presentation during the training session.
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“The training, in some way, laid the foundation of peacebuilding, which is relationship building” Ephol said. “I really admire the training because it took meto lots of eureka moments. I especially admired Professor Akiko’s statement that the result of what we’re doing is to produce real happy people. It’s a simple statement, yet very powerful and insightful. I am hoping that all my fellow young peacebuilders will continue working for peace. It is not easy but in time our efforts will matter,” he candidly shared.

Ephol’s team presented “Empowerment, Recovery, and Rehabilitation Initiatives for Victims of Terrorism and Conflicts (VoTCs)” in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. This initiative aims to support youth, women, and children in armed conflict zones through social healing, recovery, and rehabilitation. It involves community engagements, addressing local grievances, and organizing an inclusive body of VoTCs which acknowledged by all stakeholders.

Celina Soares Franklin, Timor Leste Youth Parliament, Timor-Leste

Celina, one of three participants from Timor-Leste actively contributed to the discussions.
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“The most interesting part of this training was learning about conflict resolution. It is highly relevant to Timor-Leste’s situation, as there is no development without peace. Using non-violent action to resolve conflict is essential,” Celina said.

Celina and her team presented “Path to Peace”, a project aimed at ensuring the rights of Children Born of War (CBW) and youth are respected by both the state and society. Through peacebuilding efforts, community agreements, and sustained collaboration, the project seeks to create a supportive environment for these vulnerable groups.

Participants discussed the challenges they face that often discourage them from becoming active peacebuilders. They also shared ideas for promoting meaningful youth participation in peacebuilding. Among their suggestions were fostering stronger collaboration between governments and youth, as well as addressing the root causes of their limited youth involvement, such as poverty and unequal access to education and resources.