Youth Peacebuilding Committee Initiatives

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Child Guardians believes that people who are directly affected by conflict are best placed to design and deliver solutions. That is possible if they have the resources, decision-making power, and the space to do so. The establishment of Youth Peacebuilding Committees (YPCs) in the sub-districts of Idlib, Syria helps to increase youth representation and participation in peacebuilding efforts. The YPCs can enhance coordination and networking among their members, to foster a collective approach to peacebuilding.

During 2023, 7 YPCs were established, comprising 310 youth committee members. YPCs involved five technical working groups: Youth Mental Health, Public Relations, Sign Language Integration, Media, and Accountability and Evaluation. YPCs’ achievements during the mentioned period included:

• YPCs attended intensive training, covering technical skills, civic engagement, volunteer work, strategic planning, recovery and resilience building, conflict management tools and ways to deal with trauma. 790 training hours were delivered.
• The YPCs planned and implemented 28 community initiatives addressing child and youth protection issues and promoting community peace.
• Through mobilsation, advocacy, and networking within the community efforts, YPCs were able to support these initiatives, with $8000 contribution from the community while receiving $12600 from partner Peace Direct.

Success stories included:

• Enhancement of the integration of youth with disabilities through sign language initiatives, involving training groups of young people to master sign language communication and translate various materials and awareness messages into sign language.
• Launch of the first youth initiative in northwest Syria aimed at promoting and disseminating concepts of mental health among youth through three community circles, involving youth themselves, caregivers, and adults who interact the most with youth such as teachers and young community leaders to convey awareness messages about correct mental health concepts and early detection of mental challenges to reduce the risks of suicide and addiction among youth.
• Management of immediate and effective response during the 2023 earthquake crisis in Syria, where these youth committees organised voluntary community work to create an effective, positive, and rapid response during the first hours following the earthquake, mobilising donations to support families affected in nearby areas. Their proactive efforts showcased their resilience and determination to make a positive impact.

Quote from Khaled, who is 15 years old: "Our immediate response after the earthquake was a result of our training. We learned the value of planning and coordination before initiating any initiative. We aim to be quick, organised, and impactful in our actions.”

• Care for environmentally friendly initiatives by promoting the ideas of the eco-friendly approach among children and youth through initiatives such as school gardens, seasonal home gardening, waste sorting within the school environment, and recycling in educational materials manufacturing.
• Promotion of creating youth-friendly spaces for community activities by launching after-school clubs, rehabilitating school outdoor spaces to convert them into areas for reading, sports, cultural activities, and handicraft skills.
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