Our Words of Wisdom
“More than innovative, we the Youth, are the catalyzators of a mystic change. Think, devise and act because there's a way for us to lead the juncture processes of our world. By working along towards a goal, we are becoming increasingly exceptional Change Powers. Let's believe, make the difference. We are bound to be the ones in the right time, the right place and with the right tools to develop the vision of a better world.”
– Sergio Silva Gutierrez- Magdalena Joven COLOMBIA
Vijana vitendo ni sasa! (Swahili for Youth Act Now)
Project Description:
This project aims to empower youth to become agents of change by promoting peace justice, reconciliation and good governance for enhancement of social harmony and understanding among them and members of their communities.
Project objectives include:
1. Foster understanding and cooperative relations among youth from Kenyan ethnic communities in order to counter forces that use cultural differences in divisive ways.
2. Promote reconciliation amongst youth in Kenyan communities which have been polarized socially and politically along ethnic lines. Special reference will be given to areas that experienced ethnic violence after the last general election held in 2007.
3. Build a critical mass of empowered youth (200 primary beneficiaries and 4,000 secondary beneficiaries) who can facilitate dialogue between their respective communities and act as a force of moderation and understanding during times of heightened political, cultural, religious and ethnic tensions.
Name of organization: UZIMA Foundation- Africa
Description of Organization:
UZIMA is a youth-centric organization promoting:
Youth-adult partnership is enhanced through inter-generational communication programs and community-based organizations. The organization has 6,000 registered members in 280 youth groups. Members are aged between 10 and 35 years of age. Each group has a minimum membership of 20 youth. Three youth groups in close geographical proximity form a community-based organization (CBO). Uzima provides training and support regarding start-up, programming and group governance to affiliated organizations.
Timeframe: 2010
Country: Kenya
Email: wkinaro@uzimafoundation.org
Website: http://uzimafoundation.or
Background:
Kenya has a predominantly young population. 65% of its estimated 36 million people are under the age of 30. Wherever there is violent conflict the youth are the face of destruction. They can be seen engaging in destruction of property, injuring and, in some cases, killing those they consider the “enemy”.
Kenyan youth engage in many types of conflict; ethnic clashes, religious conflicts, agitation for rights and politically instigated clashes/violence. In the years 1988-2008, politically instigated violence has flared up in different parts of the country, and can easily be connected to political alliances formed and sustained along ethnic rather than ideological lines. Observers can often predict the next flash points for politically instigated violence by studying political alliances.
This project seeks to empower youth with knowledge about other ethnic communities, democracy, good governance and human rights especially freedom of expression, It uses the Alternatives to Violence Program (AVP) of the UZIMA foundation as a skeleton. Such knowledge will counter stereotypes, negative ethnicity and fear of the unknown, and build up a critical mass of youth who will stand up and encourage dialogue whenever conflict between communities occurs.
Project Activities:
1. 4 day regional workshops for 200 youth drawn from 3 of the 4 provinces that UZIMA foundation operates in. Participants in these workshops will be youth who have already received training under the Alternatives to Violence Program (AVP). The workshops will build on the AVP skeleton and enhance knowledge of:
The workshops will use interactive methods including music, drama, discussion, debate, role playing and electronic media (audio/visual) to train the youth. The workshops will also seek to commit youth to advocate dialogue and tolerance in their communities and encourage them to use their newly acquired skill by developing projects in their individual youth groups.
UZIMA will oversee the development and support the implementation of these projects in order to drive the message of tolerance and dialogue at the grass roots level. Youth will be required to have at least one activity in their communities per group within a month of completing the training.
Participants will be drawn from UZIMA youth groups. These groups have been trained in the promotion of gender equity and balance and will adhere to the rule as stipulated in t UZIMA’s constitution that prescribes gender balance in selection of participants to attend trainings.
2. A 3-day national convention to foster interaction of youth from various regions and communities and development of networks. Participants will be drawn from the regional workshops, with each region providing a proportionate number of youth. A total of 100 youth will attend the convention. At this convention, youth will share their experiences, devise strategies and actions to maximize the impact of the project and develop cost effective ways of getting the message of tolerance, dialogue and alternatives to violence to the disempowered youth of the nation.
The national convention will have a media component aimed at disseminating the efforts of youth in the present and in the past- in promoting tolerance, dialogue and alternatives to violence. The convention will recognize and celebrate the efforts of these youth- dubbed “heroes/heroines” in order to provide role models for other youth to emulate. Such youth have already been identified through a nationwide process that was carried out under the auspices of the Kenyan Civil Society Organizations.
The high point of the national convention will be the public signing of pacts between the youth, committing to being ambassadors of peace, promoting tolerance and dialogue and fighting ethnic, cultural and religious bigotry. Youth will receive certificates of participation and graduate at a special ceremony presided over by prominent and youthful role models in the field of peace building, tolerance and dialogue.
Results: Project under implementation