Statement: On the Occasion of International Youth Day... Youth Civil Society Organizations in Yemen Make a Set of Demands for Peace, Development and Reconstruction

Thursday, 12 August, 2021

Yemen is suffering for the seventh year under war and conflict that has left behind the woes, tragedies and horrific violations of human rights , and despite the international movement to stop the war, the chances of peace are still slim, as negotiations are limited to the parties to war and the lack of opportunity for young and women to participate in peace-building processes, even though they represent the largest component of society and its most important groups.

That's why we are youth civil society organizations working with young people and interested in building their abilities and meeting their needs, and we have an active presence in the field on extension of the map of Yemen.

After a series of serious dialogues and discussions, we announce our demands for peace, development and reconstruction, which we submit to the United Nations, its office and its special envoy, international mediators and ambassadors of the countries sponsoring the negotiations and interested in Yemen, international organizations and funds working in the humanitarian and development fields, the Governments of Sana'a and Aden, the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and the Private Sector, and all those interested in youth to work with them hand in hand to empower young people to develop their society and build peace that will only be achieved by their participation, raising their voice and ensuring their presence at decision-making tables and this is through the following:

1. Localizing Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security and supporting programs and mechanisms for its translation and implementation on the ground.

2. Involve young people in the first track peace negotiations, in the upcoming agreements, and activate their role in the post-war phase .

3. Neutralizing education from conflict, paying the salaries of teachers and faculty in public schools and universities, and all employees’ salaries that have been suspended since the middle of the year 2016.

4. Building the capacity of youth-interested organizations and institutions to build peace, create opportunities to build bridges, mend divisions in local communities, and support the efforts of young activists to achieve peace.

5. Rehabilitation community colleges and vocational and technical institutes, and implementing programs involving the public and private sectors, youth organizations, donors, and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry to prepare and train young people in occupations related to construction and reconstruction.

6. Supporting local organizations in the field of localization humanitarian work in Yemen, with the support and backing of United Nations agencies and funds, international organizations and donors, and with the assistance of the Supreme Council for the Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and International Cooperation (SCMCHA) ,the (High Relief Committee) and the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation. Also, work to improve the humanitarian response mechanism carried out by the United Nations and evaluate the response that has taken place over the past years.

7. Directing agencies, organizations, funds and donors to support the proposals of local organizations in providing young people with life and professional skills, and economic empowerment.

8. Improving the mechanisms and expansion of microfinance activities, supporting youth organizations to spread a culture of creativity and entrepreneurship among Yemen's youth, and obligating banks to cooperate with them in providing facilities for the success of innovative youth projects, while implementing mechanisms and institutional frameworks for the development of small and medium enterprises.

9. Establishing a fund to support entrepreneurship and innovative youth projects. And launching an electronic platform to convey their voices and showcase their creativity in the era of digital technology.

10. Creating economic opportunities for girls in Yemen and improving the livelihoods of their families by supporting their access to the right to education, and training them in various activities such as: food processing, handicraft production, and mobile phone repair.

11. Ending all restrictions and obstacles imposed on youth activities and civil society in general in all regions of Yemen.

12. Providing psychological support to young people who have suffered psychological trauma as a result of the war, and supporting proposals to help them rebuild their lives.

13. Establishing the Yemen Youth Forum for Development and Peace and organizing an annual conference that brings together activists in the fields of peace and development from all governorates of Yemen, to discuss and exchange ideas on peace and development.

14. Enabling youth organizations to propose, design and manage projects that reflect young people aspirations and meet their needs, as they receive less than 1% of international funding, are treated as passive grant recipients, and implement ready-made projects that do not push for change, resulting in the implementation of ready-made solutions that do not meet the actual needs of local communities and do not leave sustainable positive effects.

15. Strengthening oversight and transparency mechanisms in action between civil society and local and international organizations.

Finally:

We emphasize that empowering youth civil society organizations and young people to play an active role in building peace and leading development process in Yemen represents a roadmap to bring the country to the stage of stability and recovery from the consequences of war in all fields.

issued by:

1- Tamdeen Youth Foundation.

2- Youth Leadership Development Foundation.

3- Life Makers Meeting Place Organization (LMMPO)

4- Youth Without Borders Organization for Development.

5- Generation Without Qat Organization.

6- Sheba Youth Foundation for Development.

7- Hemmat Shabab Foundation For Development.

8- Social Development Hodeida Girls Foundation.

9- Sada Foundation for Building & Development.

10- Civil Alliance for Peace.

11- Volunteers Foundation.