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Eighteen young women peacebuilders from Central Asia and Afghanistan came together in Vienna this week for the final regional event of the Y

The showcase event of Young Women 4 Peace, 19 September, Vienna. (OSCE/Micky Kroell) Photo details

Eighteen young women peacebuilders from Central Asia and Afghanistan came together in Vienna this week for the final regional event of the Young Women 4 Peace (YW4P) Initiative, a flagship programme of the OSCE Gender Issues Programme, funded by the European Union.

From 17–19 September, participants summed up two years of intensive training, cross-border collaboration, and high-level dialogue designed to strengthen their skills to lead in peace and security efforts. from the group represented Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan (residing in Central Asia).

On 18 September, the young leaders met with OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, who reaffirmed the Organization’s commitment to women’s empowerment in peacebuilding. They also attended the OSCE Permanent Council to gain first-hand insights into gender and security policymaking processes.

The showcase event on 19 September brought together ambassadors, EU representatives, senior officials from Central Asia, and OSCE experts.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Lara Scarpitta, OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues, underscored the unique challenges young women face in shaping peace:

“We believe in the transformative power of young women’s leadership. Their voices are essential to building inclusive and lasting peace across the region,” said Dr. Scarpitta.

Speaking on behalf of the EU, Irène Mingasson, Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, highlighted the unwavering support: ”Women and young people are vital drivers of peace and security. It is our role to help them achieve just that. We need to work collectively to break down the barriers that hamper that potential.”

The highlight of the event was the presentation of the participants’ collaborative projects, addressing issues such as education for girls from rural areas, cross-border youth dialogue, climate action, and advocacy for Afghan refugees. A dynamic panel, Youth Voices 4 Peace: Celebrating Women, Peace and Security in Action, fostered open discussion with diplomats and decision-makers.

The event also featured a regional exchange with Central Asian authorities working on gender equality and youth policies, exploring how young women’s insights can shape more responsive and inclusive security policies.

Funded by the European Union and implemented by the OSCE Gender Issues Programme under the WIN for Women and Men project, the YW4P Initiative will continue through end-2025. More than just a leadership programme, the initiative has built a community of trained, motivated, and connected young peacebuilders ready to contribute meaningfully to policy and practice, and it has become a platform for fostering cross-sector cooperation between civil society, state institutions, and international partners, amplifying shared values on empowering young women in building inclusive and lasting peace.

Contacts

Communication and Media Relations Section

OSCE Secretariat

[email protected]

#the Young Women 4 Peace (YW4P) Initiative #the OSCE Gender Issues Programme #the European Union

New report by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights concludes that inherited memories of a war they don't actually remember have a significa

A survey published on Tuesday by the NGO Youth Initiative for Human Rights, YIHR, in Prishtine/Pristina concluded that although the vast majority of country’s youth have no memory of the late-1990s war, “second-hand memories” of it still affect their attitudes toward the events of a quarter-century ago.

The survey highlights differences in responses between Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serb youth to the war, the prosecution of war crimes and the role of the young in reconciliation and peace agreements.

The study, “Youth attitudes towards war and war crimes in Kosovo”, focuses on the impact of the war’s memory in Kosovo, examining its influence on political, regional and gender perspectives across different ethnic groups and social categories.

It explores how these attitudes vary, based on factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, settlement type and regional affiliation.

“The report shows that the war’s heritage still affects younger generations, those who have not experienced the war but carry its burden through what we call ‘second hand memory’,” Marigona Shabiu, Director of the YIHR Office in Kosovo, said.

“This study provides a deep analysis on the way how Kosovo youth see war crimes, interethnic relations and the role of justice,” she added.

Bekim Baliqi, a Pristina University professor and author of the report, said respondents to the study included young people aged 18-30 from all of Kosovo’s communities.

“The majority of youth consider that they have general information about the past, and this was important fur us…. But as you can see, the majority of them are informed by their families and the family environment but also by online sources including media,” Baliqi said.

The report says contradictory views of the war and on war memory have diverse impacts on society, and “can lead to divisions among ethnic groups and victimization”.

“It can also present challenges to efforts for democratisation, reconciliation and to improving inter-ethnic relations. Younger generations are particularly affected by biased narratives of war and war crimes, which they encounter through various means such as narratives, memorials, social media and history textbooks,” the report notes.

It also says that those born in Kosovo in the late-1990s and early 2000s are especially influenced by the war in different ways and their perspectives are shaped not only by public memorialization and narratives but also by family experiences and memories.

“These narratives of past violent events have a dual effect on younger generations: they reinforce ethnic sentiments and political attitudes and provoke distrust towards other ethnic groups. As a result, it becomes very challenging to appropriately address mass atrocities and war crimes, as well as to achieve transitional justice, reconciliation, and peacebuilding,” the report says.

The survey recommends Kosovo authorities to develop a comprehensive strategy for the politics of memory, focusing on war-related events and experiences, and incorporate more inclusive and fact-based educational programmes in schools and universities to ensure students gain a better understanding of the war.

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Deadline: 12-Apr-25 The Atiku Institute for Development is accepting applications for the Small Grants to support Women and Youth-Led Organi

Deadline: 12-Apr-25

The Atiku Institute for Development is accepting applications for the Small Grants to support Women and Youth-Led Organizations.

The Next Funding Cycles are going to start soon! Don't you want to know them?

This initiative recognizes the role of Women-ted and Youth-led Organizations (WLOs S YLOS) in promoting gender equality, advocating for women’s rights, and addressing issues that disproportionately affect women and girls.

These organizations are instrumental in amplifying women’s voices and driving social economic, and political change. UNFPA the United Nations Population Fund, supports Women led and Youth led organizations through technical support and guidance for effective service delivery, accountability to affected populations, organizational management and sustainable development.

As part of its commitment to the Call-to-Action roadmap, UNFPA in partnership with the American University of Nigeria (AUN) and with funding from the Norwegian Government, is supporting WLOs 5 YLOS with micro-grants to enhance their capacity to respond to GBV In emergencies, including Initiatives in Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRHI, livelihood and protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

This call for applications aims to extend small grants to 72 eligible and successful WLOs B YLOS across the BAY (Borne Adamawa and Yobo) states to support them to articulate and deliver capacity-building actions at community level prevention and response to GBViE, initiatives in SRHIE.

Target Organizations

Women-led and Youth-led Organisations in Borno, Adamawa, and YOBE States

Eligibility Criteria

You can only apply for one envelop:

Proposals most address thematic areas: GBViE, SRHIE, and Youth and Women empowerment.

Organizations must be women-led with more women in the board or organizational leadership positions.

Organizations must be youth-led, with at least 70% youth membership and staff.

Organizations must have a valid accounting system with separation of powers.

Organizations must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and provide verifiable copies of certificates with RC numbers.

Organizations shall provide photo evidence of their previous engagement Is) for the past 2 years.

Proposals that ensure disability inclusion and address “Leaving No one behind” are encouraged.

Proposal most seek to integrate Peacebuilding f, environmental protection programmes

For more information, visit Atiku Institute for Development.

#Nigeria #Small grants #Womens organizations #Youth led organizations #The Atiku Institute for Development #UNFPA the United Nations Population Fund #American University of Nigeria (AUN)