QUOTATION
"I can do everything through him
who gives me strength."
Phil 4:13
Youth Peace Units
The Background
The All Africa Conference of Churches has produced a continental Youth Peace training manual which has been launched in all the five Sub-regions. This manual was not going to be a reality without the active participation of the constituency. It is meant for the youth. This manual emanated from the daily miseries and struggles of the youth peace. Their commitment towards the production of the manual justified their understanding and awareness on the need for sustainable peace in Africa.
The first biggest challenge is for the manual to reach the youth to be used by the youth and most importantly stimulate the youth in peace building.
The second biggest challenge is to make peace education less costly through the localization and ownership of the use of the manual as an instrument for Peace Building. People will educate themselves in the context of their own reality and people do not need to fundraise or travel or organize workshops for peace education.
The third biggest challenge is to make everybody a peace educator and builder rather than continue this mission to some individuals who are not accessible to some of us.
The fourth biggest challenge is to access peace education in every sector and institution of our community (Rural etc) and every member of our church youth, women, children, pastors, etc.
As one attempt to accomplish the above mentioned members and the need for continuation after sub-regional launching, we humbly ask national councils member, churches, youth groups, students, christian movements etc. to establish youth peace units.
What is a
youth peace-unit?
It is a discussion group of 10 to 15 young people or friends who meet
certain days of the week – regularity. (Maybe once a week or forthnightly)
for a certain number of hours to discuss peace related issues especially
in their community or any chapter from the AACC Youth Peace Training manual.
Each member is expected to research and prepare presentation on the topic allocated to him/her. This must not stop other participants from researching the same topic. Research and broad reading will definitely enrich the discussion. Everybody must prepare and contribute effectively to the discussion session.
It is of
the peace unit:
- we share peace information
- we experience youth peace empowerment
- we establish youth peace–networks
- we learn peace–facilitation
- we learn and reach
- we understand the world and community around us
- we do something about the world and community around us
- we become followers of the Prince of Peace
- we live for a good purpose as the youth
- we channel our energy and life towards the good course
- we become disciples of the Prince of Peace
- we become the salt and the light of the world
A guide on how to establish a youth peace unit
Step one
understand and familiarize yourself with the content of this brochure.
Step two share the information with a friend/friends in your youth group
or whatever formation.
Step three gree on the kind of youth unit you prefer. it does not necessarily
have to be everything in this pumphlet.
Step four Maybe at the second meeting draw the first list of topics for
the unit. Approach your church, national councils etc. for help.
Step fiveIdentify possible sources of information in your community e.g.
national council, church, community, organisation, peace institutions,
community training centres scm’s etc. and most importantly some knowledgeable
resource people in your community, especially in your church.
Step six Allocate a topic to each member or members.
Step seven Agree on the date, time and venue of your first discussion.
You can meet at the:
- church
- schools and tertiary institutions
- community centre
- under a tree
- in our homes – why don’t you do your presentation in your
home or hostel and at the end give them something to eat or drink.
Infact little contributions can be made everything you meet to cover the drinks cost for whoever is providing and also for expenses like the occupying of material of need be.
Step eight
God home and prepare yourself for your presentation and also presentation
by other people.
Step nine Participate actively in the discussion.
Step ten Follow-up action.
Guide on contents of the unit agenda
- Welcome
- Opening prayer.
- Introduction of newly recruited members.
- Bible study – relevant to the topic.
- Presentation by the rest of the unit.
- Questions and discussion.
- List lessons learned.
- What challenges does the topic bring?
- Do the light of what we discussed we are prepared for.
- Do the following as individuals or as a group.
- What are the possible obstacles?
- We will overcome them through.
- Summary and closure.
NB: It is important to discuss recent conflicts and Peace achievements. Information is available from News papers, etc.
- Evaluation:
Facilitation by the leader Participation by unit members Contents and
sequence.
- Lessons learned.
- Next meeting and any other business (The whole Programme can take 3
to 4 hours)
As a unit
member what do you bring to the group?
- Yourself
- Your time
- Your commitment
- What you don’t know
- The peace that Christ gave you
What do you
get from the group?
- A community of unit members.
- Self discovery.
- Peace empowerment.
- Growth.
- God’s wisdom from other members.
What do you
take to the local community?
- Information/awareness raising.
- Message of tolerance and co-existence.
- Message of peace.
- Message of forgiveness and reconciliation.
- Peace projects.
- Mission of Christ.
- Peace units information.
Expected
outcome/Impact
- Young people to be part of ecumenical or congregational Youth Peace
networks through youth peace units.
- Make peace-units part of churches or councils youth ministry.
- See churches and national councils spearheading the Formation and functioning
of youth peace units.
- Establish non-sexist, non-tribalist, inter-faiths and political tolerant
peace units.
Long-term.
- See young people independently coordinating the units.
- See more young people joining the units.
- See the youth bringing peace to our communities.
- See the youth drifting away from warlands.
- Witness the growth of the community of peace-builders.
- See the youth start to live for a new purpose.
- Impact the peace image of our churches and communities.
- Make every youth a peacemaker with a peace mission.
- Continue to make peace mission, a Christian obligation.
- Discover peace as a vocation.
What makes
the unit successful?
- Punctuality.
- Commitment to the unit.
- Preparation by all members even in topics they are not facilitating.
- Supporting each other because some people might not be confident of
the beginning.
- Using the language you prefer.
- Active participation.
- Rotate and share responsibilities.
- Equal ownership of the unit by members.
- Exchange visits and presentation with members of other units.
- Exchange of information with other members of the unit and other units.
- Recruitment of new members as the group grows, it must split into two
independent units and many more.
- Create units suitable for your members context.
- Seek advice from your church, national council or Established units.
- Any useful information must be shared amongst the members.
- Each member must develop a resource file from presentations and any
other sources of material on peace.
- Subscribe to magazines and newsletter which cover peace-related issues.
- Attend peace events.
Proposed
agenda for the first peace unit discussion
- What are peace units?
- What is peace?
- What denies us peace?
- How does the absence of peace affect us?
- How do we contribute to the absence of peace?
- Why peace is important?
- What does the African culture say about peace?
- What does the Bible say about peace?
This focus will provide every good base for the first unit discussion meeting.
Let us turn these small units into huge images and movements Of peace within ourselves in our churches, homes, Villages, farms, cities, districts, provinces, countries, sub-regions, continent and the world.
Once more national councils, churches, students, Christian Movements, cultural groups etc. please help us establish and coordinate these units in your respective countries and communities.
The units:
- Make peace everybody’s business.
- Make everybody a peace builder.
- Make peace affordable.
- Make peace less complicated.
- Make peace a way of life a Christian obligation.
- Bring peace to any community irrespective of distance from any centres.
- Why don’t you share the information with your Colleagues in the
office, your family members and neighbours today.
Evaluation
indicators
- Sustainability of the units.
- Ecumenical formation contribution by the units.
- Participation of rural sector.
- Participation of our church.
- Participation of our national council.
- Independency of the units.
- Exchange programme of the units.
- Inter-religious outreach of units.
- Peace above party politics.
- Growth in membership.
- Conflict resolution and transformation by units.
This is peace building by Africans for Africa. Be part of the movement, don’t be left out as we move towards the Jubilee of peace in Africa. Let us all start today for peace in Africa.