EU Youth, Peace & Security Conference 2025

Hello everyone, greetings! I'm honoured and very privileged to speak as a voice among the 120 of young peacebuilders gathered here, and millions more who could not be in this room, but whose hopes, struggles, and determination echo through every word we share.

My name is Joseph Brighton Malekela, a proud member of the EU Youth Sounding Board in Tanzania; Founder & Executive Director of The African Leadership Initiatives for Impact; and Co-Chair of the Youth4Peace Agenda Coalition of Tanzania.

We gather here in Brussels, 10 years since the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2250, a resolution born from the rallying cry of young people worldwide: that "Nothing about us, without us." A decade later, that call still rings true. From the streets of Nepal, Berlin – Germany, Kyiv – Ukraine, Gaza – Palestine, Nairobi – Kenya, Antananarivo – Madagascar, Afghanistan, Kivu & Goma in DRC and many parts of the world, young people are standing up, often in crisis, yet always with courage; demanding peace, justice, climate action, and inclusion in decision-making. We are the most connected generation in history, but also one of the most disillusioned by systems that still too often speak about us rather than speaking with us.

That is why this moment matters. The EU Youth, Peace and Security Week 2025 is not just another conference, it is a rallying point for a generation that refuses to inherit a broken world, but who are architects actively building peace in and among their communities. It is also an opportunity for us and Team Europe, institutions, and civil society to listen, connect, and co-create the next decade of Youth, Peace and Security actions together.

Progress and Challenges

Since 2015, we have seen progress. The EU and its Member States have mainstreamed YPS into policies and action plans. Finland led by example with the 1st ever National Action Plan on YPS (and of course with its second NAP forthcoming); and Italy now joins as the newest member of that movement within EU. Across Africa, the African Union, ECOWAS, EAC and other regional bodies have institutionalized YPS frameworks, while countries have developed or are on their way to develop YPS NAPs.

And yet, across continents, violence, civic restrictions, and shrinking democratic space continue to deny young people's right to shape the peaceful future we all want to see. In many places of the world, youth are either silenced, surveilled, or sidelined. Our organizations, especially those led by youth & young women, and in particular those in fragile states like Palestina, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, DRC and those on the margins, remain underfunded and over-expected. This contradiction defines our generation: we are called "the hope of the future," but rarely trusted in the present.

Youth Building Peace

And yet, despite everything, we, the young people, are still building peace. In my beautiful country of Tanzania, we have been running the #Youth4PeaceAgenda program mobilizing youth participation in peacebuilding and Decision-making processes; and the growing aspirations of young people which manifests the commitment to building a peaceful future with sustainable development of the country, echoed by civil societies and international development partners, are collectively calling for the dire need of reconciliation through inclusive dialogue that can foster institutional accountability, reforms, peace and justice for all.

Across the Great Lakes Region of Africa, young mediators are preventing local conflicts from turning violent. In Ukraine, youth networks are helping rebuild social trust amid war. In Sudan and Gaza, young activists risk their lives to deliver aid and keep hope alive. In Serbia, young peace builders and students movement in promotes accountability against corruption and justice for all. In Afghanistan, our colleagues here Ms. Aziza Akrami & Wajma work on championing women rights to education and justice are inspiring change, hope and dignity. In Palestine and MENA Region, our fellow youth Sulaima and Tamar are not only seeking peace, they are reclaiming their right to shape it.

Success Means Three Things

Call to Action

To our partners in the EU, its Member States, and beyond: let's make the Team Europe Approach on YPS more than a slogan. Let's make it a commitment to co-leadership, to mainstreaming YPS across security, climate, digital, and development policies. Let's ensure youth participation is not symbolic but structural, embedded in the DNA of every policy process.

As we prepare to adopt our Joint Declaration at the end of this conference, let us make it more than a document. Let it be a living commitment; a contract of accountability between generations, and between words and action. Let it guide our shared future as we move from this room to our communities, and from commitments to concrete change.

We are not just participants; we are here as important peace partners. Not just the leaders of tomorrow; we are leaders today.