17 youth leaders from across the Americas gathered in Buenos Aires for the Americas Youth Peace Summit (AYPS), a dynamic 3-day event organised by UNOY’s American Youth Advocacy Team (Am-YAT). This summit brought together young advocates to advance the Youth, Peace, and Security agenda in the region, fostering collaboration, strategic discussions, and practical solutions.
Day 1: Digital Advocacy for Change and Social Media Campaigns
The summit kicked off with an engaging session on Digital Advocacy, where participants explored innovative strategies for creating impactful online activism. From amplifying youth voices to driving global awareness, the discussions focused on leveraging digital tools to strengthen peace efforts across the region.
Am-YAT members have actively participated in research efforts leading up to the Summit, a crucial phase in deepening understanding of the challenges facing the region, which they discussed during the first day. The research was organised around three main topics, such as Youth Involvement in Conflict Resolution and Prevention, Youth Advocacy for Human and Environmental Rights and Peace and Unity in Diversity: Tackling Polarisation Together. Stay tuned for when the research will be published!
Day 2: Inclusive Leadership, Securing Resources, Gender Dynamics and Meaningful Youth Participation
The second day was packed with 4 interactive sessions, kicking off with a thematic session focused on Inclusive Leadership, where participants learned how to use their skills in fostering collaboration among young peacebuilders. Next came the thematic session about Grants and Partnerships, where strategies for securing funding and forming partnerships across the Americas were explored, to enhance the sustainability of youth-led peace initiatives. Discussions tackled the challenges of Avoiding Tokenism in global forums and ensuring genuine youth participation in decision-making processes and strategies for enhancing meaningful participation of youth in international events. The last session of the day, Gender and Youth Peacebuilding, tackled the complexities of gender dynamics in youth-driven peace efforts, emphasising the need for inclusive approaches that elevate diverse voices.
Day 3: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Policy Advocacy
The final day was packed with actionable insights on Monitoring and Evaluating the impact of youth-led peacebuilding efforts. A highlight of the day was the Panel Discussion on Youth-Led Policy Advocacy, where participants shared strategies for influencing regional and national policies. In addition, the group worked together to shape a new strategy for the future of Am-YAT. Last but not least, participants engaged in External Stakeholder meetings with key organisations like Amnesty International Argentina, the Ministry of International Affairs of Argentina, UNDP, and Asuntos del Sur, building valuable networks and strengthening ties with influential actors in the peacebuilding space.
17 young professionals
6 countries represented
10 organisations
6 workshops
1 research report
4 stakeholder meetings
Although the AYPS has concluded, it is just the beginning of an exciting and impactful journey for Am-YAT. This group of young leaders is now better equipped with tools and inspiration to continue working on the implementation of the YPS agenda and addressing conflicts in the region, and they are excited to collaborate within the strong network they have created. Stay tuned to see what they will be working on and learn more about the Am-YAT here.
The activity was funded by the Swedish International Development Agency.