'Youth and Active Citizenship for Peace and Security in Chad'

For more than a decade, the Sahel region has been facing growing insecurity due to the threat of terrorism, inter-community conflicts and transnational crime. The resulting instability is having a serious impact on the population, particularly young people, who make up a large proportion of the population and are particularly vulnerable to recruitment by extremist groups. In this context, this section of the population is often exposed to social exclusion because it is seen as a burden or a problem. Despite the numerous regional and international mechanisms on the participation of young people in peace efforts, it has to be said that this important category of actors is often relegated to the background and very little involved in peace processes to promote lasting stability and security in the Sahel and on the African continent.

The internal situation in Chad is characterised by a high cost of living, youth unemployment and recurrent inter-community conflicts.

In a country where the majority of the population is young, the growing number of young people is an important factor for development, as young people can be potential agents of peace and play a decisive role in the security and stability of this part of Africa.

The participation of young people in promoting peace and stability is crucial for the future of the country.But a number of obstacles stand in the way of effective participation.

These include a lack of economic opportunities, limited access to quality education, political marginalisation, and a sense of disillusionment with future prospects. To overcome these challenges, it is imperative to create a space for inclusive reflection and dialogue where young people can develop effective and sustainable solutions to this problem.

By better understanding these challenges, it will be possible to develop appropriate and effective solutions, such as education programmes, employment opportunities and mechanisms for political participation. This initiative can make a significant contribution to building community resilience, promoting social inclusion and building a peaceful and prosperous future for all Chadians..

Hence the organisation of a national youth forum in Chad with the support of the FES PSCC office through its ‘Youth committed to stability in the Sahel’ project.

The main aim of this activity, organised by young members of the project, is to offer young Chadians a forum for discussion, sharing and exchange, to encourage them to become more involved in peace processes, to strengthen their commitment to social cohesion and stability initiatives, and to play an active role in defining future strategies.

The forum focused on the following themes, which have a negative impact on the participation and inclusion of young people in peace processes in Chad:

• Youth and mediation: how can young people contribute to improved collaboration on security between CSOs, political actors and security sector institutions in Chad?
• Youth and active citizenship for peace and security in Chad.
• Youth and political commitment.
• Youth and electoral processes in Chad and the Sahel.
• Youth and employment issues : thoughts on peace-building.

The exchanges, debates and sharing of experiences unanimously highlighted the lack of political commitment on the part of young people and the problems of conflict management and security crises as the main challenges to young people's commitment to peace in Chad. There are also challenges specific to young people: their lack of interest, their lack of political culture, their lack of confidence in the political class, their lack of belief in the ability of young people to change things for the better, etc.

The participants were convinced that a ‘good political culture’ could help to strengthen young people's commitment to peace-building initiatives, and undertook to raise awareness among young people of the need for greater commitment to the common cause.

The forum provided an opportunity to examine the obstacles to young people's political commitment and their ability to play an active part in peace and stability in their country. These obstacles relate first and foremost to the legal instruments that set the age of youth at a stage in life when it is difficult to fulfil one's potential and become fully involved in politics. There are also a number of stereotypes that limit their political participation, including socio-cultural constraints, unemployment and low levels of education.

At the end of the forum, the participants agreed to constitute themselves as young actors for peace. They want to build their capacity in politics, conflict prevention and community mediation in order to become ambassadors for peace. They are also committed to changing perceptions about young people by making them a solution rather than a problem. To do this, they want to first diagnose the legal frameworks that hinder the involvement of young people, with a view to advocating for them to be reviewed.

The young people put forward a number of recommendations to prevent damage to the country's peace and stability and to consolidate social cohesion. Convinced that the implementation of this roadmap will stimulate the participation of young people and women in peace initiatives and boost equality and social inclusion, the young people would like support to ensure its effectiveness.