The Observatory of Peace – Nô Cudji Paz , in partnership with the Guinean Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and with the high patronage of the then Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau, Dr Geraldo João Martins, promoted the National Meeting of Young People for Peace on 22-23 November 2023 in Bissau, with the aim of Preventing Radicalism and Violent Extremism (PREV) in the country.
The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau (at the time), Geraldo João Martins, in the presence of the European Union Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau, Dr Artis Bertulis, the Executive Director of the Marquês de Valle Flôr Institute (IMVF), Dr Carolina Quina, the Portuguese Consul, Dr Camilo João Costa, and the interim President (at the time) of the Guinean League for Human Rights (LGDH), Dr Bubacar Turé.
The event, under the theme ‘Building a Peaceful Future: Youth Against Violent Extremism’, brought together 100 young people, including 50 boys and 50 girls, from all over the country, with a view to promoting mechanisms for dialogue with young people, as well as empowering them to strengthen social cohesion and PREV in Guinea-Bissau.
The Prime Minister opened the meeting by admitting that ‘young people are a risk group when it comes to radicalisation and adherence to violent extremism, so they must be mobilised to play a role in identifying the early signs of this evil that is affecting the world’. He said that ‘the government has made efforts to develop measures’ such as ‘strengthening inclusive higher education, professional internship programmes, entrepreneurship and employment for young people, support for agribusiness for young people, a youth housing programme and the implementation of the national youth plan’. Geraldo Martins said that ‘young people are agents of change and guardians of their own future’ and therefore should look for positive and constructive references, and announced that ‘the government reiterates its determination to prevent radicalism and violent extremism through the development and implementation of national policies and laws’.
The European Union Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau, Artis Bertulis, believes that young people should be heard and taken into account in the development and implementation of policies, which are traditionally the responsibility of adults. On the other hand, the diplomat challenged Guinea-Bissau’s youth that it is time for them to be at the forefront of the fight against climate change, inequalities, violence and to be vehicles for peace and development in the country. For Artis Bertulis, ‘youth must have an active voice in defining solutions that have an impact on the problems that limit sustainable development, being an important and crucial contribution to consolidating a climate of peace, justice and prosperity’.
The Portuguese Consul, Camilo João Costa, said that ‘extremism and extremes are never meeting places’. The Consul believes that young people can help prevent radicalism and violent extremism, contributing to the maintenance of a tolerant, multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, and in addition to stopping the signs that already exist, it is important to prevent their growth in the first place. The diplomat also said that ‘Portuguese cooperation has been working with various Guinean civil society organisations, namely Casa dos Direitos, whose mission is to promote dialogue between various sectors of Guinean society, around the pursuit of economic, social, cultural, civic and environmental rights, and will continue to work with other social and political actors with the aim of contributing, above all, to the establishment of partnerships between civil society organisations and other social and political actors’.
Bubacar Turé, interim president of the Guinean Human Rights League at the time, believes that we live in difficult times, with many threats of destructive violence and war, and there are many situations of injustice, which don’t break out into open conflict just because the violence of those in power is so strong that it deprives the weakest of even the energy and opportunity to claim their rights. For Turé, ‘today there are people who are prevented by authoritarian regimes and ideological systems from exercising their fundamental right to decide their own future’.
In the opinion of this human rights activist, ‘there is an urgent need to transform the demographic importance of youth not only into a force for deconstructing violent extremist narratives and hate speech, but also as an asset capable of contributing to the consolidation of democracy, peace, social cohesion, economic prosperity and the promotion of Guinean values ’.
Dr Bakary Sambe, director of the Timbuktu Institute, a Senegalese organisation specialising in the study of the phenomenon of radicalism and violent extremism in West Africa, was the main facilitator of the two days of work in which various topics were discussed, namely: the Guinean context and regional dynamics regarding radicalism and violent extremism; the role of young people in strengthening social cohesion and consolidating peace; the perception of threats and possible radicalisation factors among young people; the identification of digital strategies for the appropriate use of social networks and other online prevention tools.
One of the most dynamic moments was the presentation of plays by the ‘Grupo de Teatro Oprimido de Bissau – GTO’, portraying different signs of radicalism and violent extremism from different social and religious backgrounds.
The young people were organised into working groups to interpret and comment on the challenges and actively present and discuss the considerations and conclusions they reached. They dealt with topics such as radicalism and violent extremism, their evolution in the West African and Sahel region, including current extremist movements and signs for detecting risks in areas of greater vulnerability and exposure.
The young people actively and publicly discussed different feasible strategies to be applied in the process of combating violent extremism and radicalism, and ended up voting and unanimously adopting the Common Youth Agenda for Peace.
See the Common Youth Agenda for Peace here.
It is a comprehensive document that encompasses eleven areas of action aimed at strengthening PREV through the various national youth structures. The axes cover essential sectors such as social policy, cooperation and networking, education and communication, political participation and representation, justice and human rights, employment and economic opportunities, mental health and well-being, gender inclusion, culture and peace education, sustainability and the environment, culminating in ensuring community resilience. This document reflects a comprehensive commitment on several fronts, addressing areas crucial to progress and social cohesion.
At the close of the event, the Secretary of State for Youth and Sport (at the time), Abasse Embaló, assured the young people that the Government of Guinea-Bissau emphasises the youth sector, pledging to join forces to create a favourable environment of opportunities for young people. Highlighting the importance of this age group as a vital element for the country’s sustainable development, the secretary emphasised the ongoing efforts to promote the progress and well-being of young Guineans.
For Embaló, ‘we have a due obligation not to remain passive in the face of challenges, and todraw up necessary and strategic prevention mechanisms, such as meetings for reflection, sharing and the development of skills in areas that allow our youth to understand and interpret the phenomena that threaten peace and sub-regional stability.’
Carolina Quina, IMVF’s executive administrator, recognised the quality, commitment and rigour of the young people’s participation during the meeting, bringing innovative ideas and a note of hope and optimism for the future. For Carolina Quina, the issue of radicalism and violent extremism is linked to several other phenomena, namely the problem of good governance, justice and inequalities, and the lack of an inclusive economy that gives young people prospects for the future. She said that the IMVF will be an active partner of young people in implementing the commitments made through the Common Youth Agenda for Peace, thus contributing to integrated and sustainable development, in which the values and aspirations of young people are duly recognised and incorporated.
Binhan Quimor, one of Guinea-Bissau’s great voices, closed the meeting on a high note by regaling the young people with some of his best-known repertoire, duly accompanied by a chorus in the auditorium.
The Peace Observatory – Nô Cudji Paz project is funded by the European Union and co-financed by Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua, I.P., implemented by the Marquês de Valle Flôr Institute (IMVF) and the Guinean Human Rights League (LGDH). The action aims to contribute to dialogue and the promotion of peace, by strengthening participation, networking and establishing strategic partnerships with civil society, namely by directly involving young and adult women, with a view to preventing radicalisation and violent extremism in Guinea-Bissau.
This action contributes directly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- SDG 5 – Gender Equality-Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
- SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Watch the video of the National Youth for Peace Meeting here
