On February 5, Global Peace launched a Futures Forum virtual Global Inter-Generational Dialogue attended by a panel of young leaders who challenged their fellow youth to play an active role in advocating for change.
Founder of the Graça Machel Trust, Mrs. Graça Machel, who also serves as Chair of Global Peace and member of the UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group, was in dialogue with the young leaders alongside United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary General, H.E. Ms. Amina J. Mohammed engaged the youth on issues that most impact them.
Among the issues discussed were equal and equitable distribution of vaccines, the need to balance national interest with global responsibility and how both the youth and the older generation can both get involved. In her opening remarks, Mrs. Machel noted that the Global Peace movement has brought millions of diverse people from across the globe. “These millions of people who now are joining the movement of global peace, organized and led by young people, to me they are defining a different platform of multilateralism, this what our world needs today,” said Mrs. Machel.
Mrs Machel speaking at the Global Peace conference.
On how the older generation can propel young people to the forefront, she shared pointers. Firstly, the older generation plays a facilitation role. Secondly, the young people need to clear about what platforms they what to take charge of, what bodies they want to address after which the older people would be able to facilitate those meets and support the platforms they form. “Give us the marching orders to facilitate what you need to be propelled to the forefront,” she urged.
The event also included the launch of the Futures Forum. This is a platform aimed at driving youth to build innovative solutions to global challenges. The Forum is a response to the UN75, April 2020, report which found that data from 186 countries indicated overwhelming public support for international cooperation. This later led to various IGDs that Global Peace convened in cities across the world. They brought together young people with their current leaders to dialogue about the future they want. Watch the full discussion here.
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.