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  1. UNOCT/UNCCT launch of the Youth Engagement and Empowerment Programme (YEEP) in Kenya on preventing and countering violent extremism

UNOCT/UNCCT launch of the Youth Engagement and Empowerment Programme (YEEP) in Kenya on preventing and countering violent extremism

UNOCT/UNCCT’s Global Programme on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) on 3 June 2024 held a virtual meeting to launch its Youth Engagement and Empowerment Programme (YEEP) in Kenya. 

The virtual meeting marked the onboarding of the YEEP Kenya cohort, made up of 24 young leaders from 17 counties across the country. Over the next two months, the young leaders will participate in a number of modules that includes online training, in-person workshops, peer-to-peer engagements, and data analysis to develop policy recommendations. The YEEP initiative will culminate in a National Policy Dialogue event, during which the young leaders will present peacebuilding and PCVE policy recommendations to key national policy makers in Kenya.

YEEP Kenya is in line with Kenya’s National Strategy to Counter Violent Extremism (NSCVE), which also aims to include young people in CVE efforts and provide them with opportunities for self-advancement. 

The YEEP initiative was first implemented in Nigeria over the course of 2023-2024, and is currently ongoing in Somalia, which is due to end in August. The launch in Kenya marks the start of the third and final activity of YEEP Africa.

YEEP Kenya is implemented in partnership with the Kenyan National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), and the Youth, Arts, Development and Entrepreneurship Network- East Africa (YADEN) and is funded by the United Nations Peace and Development Fund (UNPDF).

By the end of YEEP Africa, the project will have engaged with more than 75 young African leaders from across the three countries to build their skills to contribute to PCVE efforts and to take a more prominent role in their communities on cross-cutting issues related to PCVE. YEEP Africa will culminate in a regional policy dialogue in August 2024 that will bring together the youth leaders from the three countries who participated in this initiative to share their experiences and lessons learned and seek opportunities for regional collaboration. 

Mr. Steven Siqueira, Deputy Director of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Center (UNCCT) declared during the launch that “the actions we take can have a global impact, reaching places we never imagined and touching lives we’ve never met. That’s why UNOCT is teaming up with youth, governments, and communities to make sure young people are at the heart of our fight against violent extremism. We know the power of young people to create waves of change by inspiring others and leaving their mark, whether it’s with other youth, community leaders, policymakers, government officials, or their own families."
Mrs. Rosalind Nwawira, The Director of the Kenya National Counter Terrorism Center further emphasized the importance of engaging and empowering youth to take the lead in providing innovative and creative solutions in the fight against violent extremism, especially as terrorists continue to exploit and adapt to technology.

 

For more information: Laurence Gerard (gerardl@un.org), Public Information Officer, UNOCT @UN_OCT | #UNCCT | UNiteToCounterTerrorism