The Kenya Coalition on Youth Peace and Security (KCYPS) is committed to collective organization and advocacy to advance youth development, peace, and security in Kenya.
This coalition unites youth-led organisations, activists, advocates, and peacebuilders with government officials and national civil society organisations. Their shared goal is to champion the implementation of the YPS Agenda in Kenya, with a specific focus on cultivating young people’s leadership at the local level.
While there are numerous initiatives by young people and other stakeholders in Kenya working towards the YPS Agenda, these efforts often operate independently and face challenges in scaling up to the national level due to inadequate communication.
The lack of awareness regarding ongoing activities and their impacts makes it challenging to assess potential threats and trends at the community, county, and national levels.
Additionally, the absence of coordination among local or national chapters of international YPS networks hampers tracking efforts and understanding progress at both county and national levels.
KCYPS emerged from the aspirations of youth peacebuilders and youth-led organizations aiming to fortify youth-led initiatives and improve the coordination of YPS advocacy, ensuring its integration across various sectors and stakeholders.
The success of other national coalitions on YPS underscores the significance of establishing a multi-stakeholder platform for coordination and advocacy at the national level.
KCYPS is dedicated to ensuring that youth perspectives are meaningfully incorporated into national and local legislative decision-making processes concerning peace and security.
To effectively integrate local efforts and perspectives into its activities, the coalition will be decentralized, establishing county chapters with leadership structures.
The implementation of county chapters aims to localize YPS efforts, strengthen activities at the local level, and ensure representation and address of issues from all counties.
The coalition has forged partnerships with different stakeholders including the Government of Kenya and other development partners in the development of the first National Action Plan on Youth Peace Security.
To enhance the meaningful participation of youth in peace and security processes through capacity building, advocacy, and partnerships
To create a peaceful and secure Kenya where youth are active participants and leaders in peacebuilding processes.
The YPS is a framework established by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 in 2015, recognizing the role of young people in promoting and maintaining peace and security worldwide.
The YPSA acknowledges the unique perspectives, contributions, and needs of young people in conflict prevention, resolution, and peacebuilding efforts, ensuring their meaningful participation in decision-making processes.
The YPSA is built upon four pillars: participation, protection, prevention, and partnership. These pillars emphasize the importance of involving youth in peacebuilding initiatives, safeguarding their rights in conflict situations, addressing root causes of violence, and fostering collaboration between governments, civil society, and young people.
The YPSA encourages the inclusion of youth in peacebuilding activities at all levels, from local communities to international forums, empowering them to contribute their ideas, skills, and energy to conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts.
Examples include youth-led mediation and dialogue initiatives, peace education programs, youth advocacy campaigns for peace and human rights, and projects promoting social cohesion and reconciliation in conflict-affected communities.
The YPSA emphasizes the need to protect young people from recruitment by armed groups, sexual and gender-based violence, displacement, and other forms of harm during armed conflicts. It calls for measures to ensure their safety, well-being, and access to essential services.
By recognizing the agency and resilience of young people, the YPSA supports initiatives that address the root causes of conflict, including inequality, discrimination, exclusion, and lack of opportunities, thereby preventing violence and instability.
The YPSA recognizes the specific challenges faced by young women in conflict-affected settings and underscores the importance of their meaningful participation in peacebuilding efforts, as well as addressing gender-based violence and promoting gender equality and women’s rights.
Governments, international organizations, civil society, and other stakeholders can support the YPSA by investing in youth empowerment programs, creating platforms for youth participation in decision-making, mainstreaming youth perspectives into peacebuilding policies and programs, and providing resources and capacity-building support to youth-led organizations and initiatives.
A National Action Plan (NAP) is a strategic framework developed by governments to outline specific actions and priorities for implementing the Youth, Peace, and Security Agenda at the national level. It serves as a roadmap for integrating youth perspectives and addressing the needs of young people in peacebuilding and conflict prevention efforts within a country.
The process typically involves consultations with a wide range of stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society organizations, youth representatives, and international partners. It includes assessing the needs and priorities of young people in relation to peace and security, identifying key areas for action, setting measurable objectives, and developing strategies for implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
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