Introduction

The Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Resource Center (YPS-YCR) is a physical/virtual one-stop-shop and learning centre for young people and stakeholders working or supporting the participation of young people in peacebuilding in Cameroon. YPS-YCR will create an environment suitable to advance the Youth, Peace and Security agenda through knowledge creation, collection, preservation and dissemination as well as capacity building. This centre is based at Local Youth Corner Cameroon Head Office in Yaounde.

Background

Our world today is increasingly being plagued by violent conflict ranging from military coups, the rise of violent extremism and terrorism, the rise of armed groups and political violence with young people greatly affected. Admits these issues, young people though being accused as perpetrators have been working tirelessly to be part of the solution by mobilizing themselves into social grouping to respond to the causes of these conflicts.

Young people’s positive role in peace has been expressly recognized and expressed in Article 17 of the African Youth Charter (2006) and amplified with the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolutions on YPS including 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018), and 2535 (2020) and the AU’s Continental Framework for Youth, Peace and Security (CFYPS). These frameworks advocate for young people’s role in the peace and security agenda in recognition of the important and positive role they play in maintaining and promoting international peace, security and the peace process.

This growing interest in making young people a strategic partner for peace and security has influenced both policy practice and research. Unfortunately, despite this increasing level of global engagement, young people and stakeholders at the local level have limited access to knowledge and opportunities for capacity building on this theme. This has greatly affected the grassroots engagement of young people for peace as well as influence the quality of knowledge creation and research by several stakeholders.

It is against this backdrop that Local Youth Corner Cameroon seeks to create this resource centre as a safe space for young people to access knowledge through hard copy and digital resources as well as benefit from capacity building through specialised training, workshops and engagements. This centre is part of the YOUNG-Cameroon initiative supported by Search for Common Ground with funding from the European Union Delegation in Cameroon.

Main Objective

 Provide an in-person and virtual learning space for young people, development partners and other stakeholders working on peacebuilding, conflict prevention and related fields to access knowledge and build capacity towards advancing the youth, peace and security agenda.

 Specific Objectives

• Establish a physical and virtual repository of publications and materials related to youth, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and related themes;
• Create a safe space for young peacebuilders to access materials and training opportunities to build their capacity
• Promote collaboration between scholars, practitioners and policymakers towards advancing the YPS agenda.
• Provide physical and in-person training and capacity-building opportunities for young people and stakeholders
• Facilitate periodic virtual meetings of young peacebuilders
• Provide an opportunity for young people and stakeholders to engage in knowledge development and research around youth, peace and security.