Cape Town—UNESCO MGIEP and Activate! Change Drivers are jointly launching the YESPeace Network- Southern African Region on January 26, 2017. This endeavour is aimed at strengthening the YESPeace Network (Youth for Education, Sustainability and Peace Network), which is a global ‘Network of Networks’ of youth organizations/networks, young educators,  practitioners, trainers and students working in the area of education for peace, sustainable development and global citizenship. After India and Malaysia, YESPeace South Africa will be the third country/regional level initiative of the Network.

Prior to the launch, Activate! Change Drivers and UNESCO MGIEP will be jointly organising a strategic workshop from 23-25 January 2017 at Cape Town, South Africa with youth organizations and youth from the Southern African region with an aim to co-create a roadmap for the YESPeace Network in the region.

In 2016, the YESPeace Network ran two successful international strategic workshops in New Delhi, which saw young leaders/practitioners and civil organisations from over 34 countries. The workshops fostered cross-border collaboration, knowledge sharing and co-creation of potential future projects/activities.

About the YESPeace Network:

The YESPeace Network is a collaborative effort, to transform education and ultimately achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), especially Target 4.7.  It aims to create a critical mass of young people who envisage a more peaceful and sustainable society and become active crusaders for achieving the SDGs.

As a Network of Networks, the YESPeace Network along with its partners aims at:

• Mainstreaming youth voices into policy making at the national /global level to embed Education for Peace, Sustainability and Global citizenship in Education and Youth Policies. The YESPeace Network will provide a channel to bring forth the collective youth voice to policy makers and enhance the access of youth in the arena of policy making.
• Empowering youth to take the lead in designing innovative projects around non-formal and informal learning by providing them opportunities through tools and agency, which will serve as a foundation for building more peaceful and sustainable societies.
• Building capacities of youth, youth organizations, groups and networks working with youth in the area of education for peace, sustainable development and global citizenship.
• Connecting youth and youth organizations from various fields – practitioners, researchers, policy makers, both virtually and also in the physical space – and building a culture of knowledge sharing and mutual collaboration.
• Creating spaces for dialogue across  key topic areas and drive a new narrative for education for peace, sustainable development and global citizenship.

About UNESCO MGIEP:

The UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (UNESCO MGIEP) is a Category I Institute of UNESCO. It was formally launched in 2012 with the support of Government of India and UNESCO with the mission to build capacities of Member States and strengthen policy to foster inclusive and transformative education of peace, sustainability, and global citizenship in formal and non-formal teaching and learning. The Institute specializes in research, knowledge sharing and policy formulation in the area of education for peace, sustainability and global citizenship.

About Activate! Change Drivers:

ACTIVATE! is a network of more than 2000 young leaders driving change for the public good across South Africa. Members of this network, Activators, are connected by their passion, skills, sense of self and spark to address tough challenges. They are actively initiating innovative and creative solutions that can reshape our society.

Relevant web links:

—http://www.activateleadership.co.za/

—http://mgiep.unesco.org/yespeace-network-workshop-youth-demonstrate-strength-in-diversity-offer-solutions-for-a-peaceful-shared-future/

—http://mgiep.unesco.org/a-voyage-of-discovery-yespeace-network-international-strategy-workshop-2016/

—http://mgiep.unesco.org/at-unesco-conference-on-internet-and-youth-radicalisation-youth-voices-though-few-remained-the-loudest/

—http://mgiep.unesco.org/unesco-international-conference-on-the-prevention-of-violent-extremism-through-education-taking-action/

Contact information:

—Abel Caine, Senior Project Officer: a.caine@unesco.org

—Piyali Sarkar Debnath, Programme Officer: p.sarkar@unesco.org