Peace Generation

WIPSEN-Africa's peace generation programme seeks to work with primarily young persons (male and female) as agents of change and peace. This special focus on young persons is based on WIPSEN-Africa's believe that the realization of sustainable peace and development in Africa is inextricably linked to the empowerment and constructive involvement of young persons in all key processes and structures.

Traditional African culture places a high value on the boy-child to the detriment of the girl-child who is most often denied of certain privileges and opportunities, and socialized to believe that there are certain roles that are fundamentally male or female. Leadership, decision-making, and issues pertaining to war and security are some of the roles that have overtime been attributed to men, such that women tend to be generally excluded and/or marginalized from these processes. Furthermore, given this practice which is still prevalent in most grassroots societies in Africa, a wide intergenerational gap has been, and is still being, created within the African women's movement (and especially within the peace movement) such that a targeted and sustained intervention is needed to groom particularly young girls in leadership for peace and security.

Through the peace generation programme, WIPSEN-Africa adopts a two-pronged approach in dealing with this situation. First, it seeks to re-orient young persons such that they unlearn the gendered stereotypes and roles which they have been socialized to accept as the norm; and to conscientize them to the differential needs of women, men, girls and boys in society in order that they better appreciate women, interrogate discriminatory patriarchal cultures and practices, as well as grow to apply a gender-lens in all their functions.  Second, to work specifically with young girls through what it entitles the 'peace girls' project to build their self esteem/confidence, and leadership capacities to engage in particularly peace and security related processes. More specifically, the peace generations programme seek to:
  1. Imbibe in young persons a culture of respect for women, non-violence and social responsibility.
  2. Provide capacity building for young persons to facilitate their strategic role as instruments for change and agents of peace.
  3. Groom/mentor young girls for leadership and decision-making.
  4. Create spaces for dialogue and collaboration; thereby bridging the inter-generational divide that exist within the women's peace movement.

 

Programs > Core Programs > Women in Leadership & Decision-making on Peace and Human Security