Join youth voices to reimagine the world through peace education

New Delhi : As the largest generation of youth in history, young people are bringing about effective transformations worldwide. They are taking to the streets and social media by storm to connect diverse communities, amplify voices and express views to promote peace and justice.

To capitalize on this momentum, the UNESCO New Delhi Office in collaboration with the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is organizing the first iTAGe event, “Talking Across Generations on the State of Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) in South Asia” on 18 June 2021.

Since youth are an important force behind change, the capacity to have their voices heard at the decision-making table is pivotal. In this sense, preceded by a survey, social media conversations, and focus group discussions, iTAGe aims to include and amplify youth voices in the prevention of violent extremism in the region. This will culminate in a youth-driven high-level intergenerational dialogue, engaging a representative cohort of six youth leaders and three senior experts working in the field of PVE.

The input collected from the survey, social media conversations, focus group discussions, and the event itself will be incorporated into the Youth-led Report on the State of PVE in South Asia as youth-centered actionable recommendations for policymakers, thus providing an ideal platform for youth to partake in decision making. The report will combine the latest research on preventative efforts with uncensored youth case studies to provide fresh and robust perspectives for policymakers and a youth-centered overview of violent extremism in South Asia.

Youth eager to participate in the iTAGe event must:

Be between 18 and 35 years old.
Be nationals from or currently living in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka.
Wish to contribute to the advancement of peace education and the inclusion of youth voices in policymaking to prevent violent extremism in South Asia.
Respond to the State of PVE in South Asia survey before 4 June 2021, 11:59 PM EDT.
A total of 30 participants will be selected and invited to join a Focus Group Discussion on 15 June 2021. Then, a shortlist of six participants will be invited to participate in the final iTAGe event on 18 June 2021, along with senior officials. The working language of the event is English.

Click here to reply to the survey for a chance to participate in the iTAGe event.

The event is part of the wider project, #YouthWagingPeace: A Whole Community Approach to the Prevention of Violent Extremism through Education.