On November 7, 2024, Jasmine Griffith-Reid, Co-Chair of Education & Capacity Strengthening at the Canadian Coalition for Youth, Peace and Security (CCYPS), represented the coalition at the 2nd Canada-African Union Commission High-Level Dialogue: Diaspora and Youth Dialogues held in Toronto. This landmark event, co-hosted by Global Affairs Canada at the joint invitation of Ministers Mélanie Joly, Mary Ng, and Ahmed Hussen, alongside African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, gathered Afro-Canadian leaders, African Union (AU) representatives, and Canadian officials to strengthen the Canada-Africa partnership.
The event marked an important moment for Canada to reaffirm its commitment to strengthening its support for peace and security, including by supporting youth and women in peace processes, as highlighted in a recent Global Affairs Canada statement. This pledge set the tone for discussions exploring new pathways for diaspora engagement, youth leadership, and collaboration on peace and security initiatives.
Strengthening Canada-Africa Relations Through Diaspora Engagement
The Dialogue underscored the vital role that Canada’s African diaspora can play in deepening relations between Canada and Africa, a theme introduced by Minister of International Development Hussen and AU Commission Chairperson Mahamat. With the Afro-Canadian population surpassing 1.3 million, the community’s capacity to drive social, economic, and policy shifts has grown significantly. Jasmine and fellow youth leaders discussed ways Afro-Canadian youth can act as bridges between Canada and Africa, not only by fostering mutual understanding but by enhancing direct youth-led engagement across the continents.
Jasmine emphasized CCYPS’s commitment to elevating the voices of young Afro-Canadian peacebuilders and creating direct links with African youth peacebuilders. “We envision a Canada-Africa strategy that actively supports young peacebuilders in Africa through partnerships and resource-sharing,” Jasmine noted.
Youth, Peace, and Security: Building Cross-Continental Connections
As the day progressed, the Dialogue addressed the theme of Youth, Peace, Security, and Development, a topic CCYPS has championed in both Canadian and global policy spaces. Jasmine presented insights from CCYPS’s September 2024 consultations on Canada-Africa partnerships, calling for financial and logistical support to strengthen collaboration between African and Afro-diaspora youth engaged in peace and security.
CCYPS’s work with the African Union Youth Ambassadors for Peace (AU YAPs) and the DRC Coalition for YPS, among others, exemplifies the impact of cross-regional partnerships. By hosting knowledge exchanges and collaborating on initiatives with youth peacebuilders across Africa, CCYPS promotes the exchange of strategies to tackle local conflict and advocate for sustainable peace. Jasmine highlighted this synergy: “The shared knowledge between Afro-Canadian and African youth is a powerful tool for addressing not only conflict but also its root causes, and we’re committed to fostering these connections.”
At the Dialogue, Jasmine emphasized the importance of aligning Canada’s Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) commitments with its foreign and domestic policies, creating a cohesive framework for supporting youth-led peace initiatives. She recommended that to implement Canada’s third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (CNAP3), the government should prioritize local efforts to ensure resources flow to youth peacebuilders, thus bridging the gap between Canadian policy commitments and on-the-ground realities in African countries.
Moving Forward: A Commitment to Youth-Led Peacebuilding
Jasmine’s presence at the Dialogue reinforced CCYPS’s commitment to creating robust linkages between Canadian and African youth, supporting them to take the lead in shaping peace and security policies. As part of this commitment, CCYPS will continue to co-lead initiatives like the forthcoming inter-regional dialogue on YPS. This event, set for December 9, 2024, will connect youth peacebuilders and policymakers from across Africa and the Americas, marking the 9th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 and highlighting youth-led advocacy’s crucial role in peacebuilding.
As Jasmine shared, “The Canada-Africa partnership can be a powerful vehicle for youth-led change, and CCYPS is proud to be at the forefront of this dialogue. Together, we can advance peace, security, and sustainable development—driven by the voices and visions of young people.”
Jasmine’s participation at the 2nd Canada-African Union Commission High-Level Dialogue demonstrates CCYPS’s promise to fostering lasting partnerships between Afro-Canadian and African youth, elevating young peacebuilders to address challenges and create reciprocal learning across continents.
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