National Youth Council (NYC) has successfully held Constituency Popularization of the National Action Plan on youth, peace and security (NAP-YPS) in Gunjur Village, Kombo South.
The session brought together vibrant young people, community representatives, and members of the Technical Working Group (TWG).
They discussed how youth can actively contribute to building peaceful and secure communities.
Participants engaged in an interactive dialogue on community challenges and youth-led solutions, followed by insightful presentations on the roles of young people in promoting peace and preventing conflict.
The initiative forms part of the national effort to ensure every youth understands and takes ownership of the NAP-YPS, in line with UNSCR 2250.
The popularization of Gambia's National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security (NAP-YPS) involves ongoing outreach activities, workshops and training sessions led by the National Youth Council (NYC) and supported by partners such as the UNDP and the UNFPA.
Recent efforts included constituency popularization events in villages like Gunjur, where young people, community representatives, and the Technical Working Group discussed the plan and youth's role in peacebuilding.
Additionally, training is being conducted to equip civil society organizations (CSOs) and government stakeholders with skills to monitor the plan's progress and ensure its effective implementation.
Constituency outreach: National Youth Council (NYC) will hold events in various communities to inform youth and local leaders about the NAP-YPS. These sessions promote interactive dialogue on community challenges and the roles of young people in peacebuilding.
Technical training: Workshops are held for the NAP-YPS Technical Working Group, which includes CSOs and government representatives. These workshops focus on skills like results-based management, gender-sensitive data collection, and monitoring to ensure evidence-based progress.
Capacity building for CSOs: Training programs are being conducted for CSOs to empower them to effectively participate in the policy's development and implementation and to represent the voices of young people.
National Assembly member training: The plan also includes training for national assembly members, who are crucial stakeholders in the NAP development and implementation process.
Stakeholder collaboration: The popularization efforts emphasize collaboration between youth, government bodies like the Ministry of Youth and Sports, international organizations like the UNDP and the UNFPA, and civil society groups.
These sessions bring together young people and community leaders for interactive dialogues on community challenges and youth-led solutions.
Grassroots and community outreach: National Youth Council (NYC) is conducting popularization sessions at the constituency and community levels, including in the West Coast Region and Central River Region.
Meanwhile, the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security (NAP-YPS) in The Gambia is being popularized through the nationwide, multi-stakeholder effort led by the National Youth Council (NYC).
Key strategies involve grassroots engagement, capacity-building, leveraging media and partnerships to ensure widespread ownership and understanding of the plan's objectives.
The NAP-YPS was formally launched in February 2025 and serves as a strategic framework to promote youth engagement in peacebuilding, prevent violence and ensure participation in decision-making.
