Co-creating peace: Highlights from the first Amani Pamoja exchange

Youth organizations are critical in nurturing young people’s civic competencies and participation in political processes. However, these organizations also face a unique set of barriers to sustaining youth engagement, especially for young people from marginalized backgrounds, and there are few opportunities for cross-organizational exchange. In response to this gap, the Agency for Peacebuilding, with support from the European Union, devised the Amani Pamoja project: a two-year structured partnership between AP and five youth peacebuilding organizations across Europe and Africa. The project is designed to strengthen advocacy and knowledge exchange, promote youth participation in peace and security domains, and advance the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda in line with the European Union’s National Action Plan. The project also seeks to raise awareness of and support existing youth-led peacebuilding initiatives, such as the EU Youth Strategy and the EU Youth Action Plan in External Action.

The Amani Pamoja project involves two cross-continental learning exchanges. These exchanges were designed to empower young people to influence policies related to the YPS agenda by creating spaces for dialogue, informational exchange, and awareness-building. The first exchange took place from July 13-18, 2026, in Mombasa, Kenya

Exchange in Mombasa, Kenya 

The in-person exchange in Mombasa, Kenya, brought together 24 participants from youth-led and youth-focused organizations across six countries: Germany, Italy, Kenya, Spain, Tanzania, and Uganda. The in-person workshop was the culmination of a series of online meetings throughout June and July, in which participants discussed the YPS agenda, shared their work and experiences related to YPS advocacy, and reflected on their expectations and goals for the in-person exchange.

From the outset, the exchange was designed to be more than a traditional training programme. Rather than positioning participants solely as recipients of knowledge, it aimed to create a space where young peacebuilders could learn directly from one another’s experiences, challenges, and successes. This commitment to peer-to-peer learning shaped both the structure of the workshop and the collaborative spirit of the week.

The exchange began with a poster session and gallery walk, during which participants introduced their organizations and showcased their approaches to youth peacebuilding, civic engagement, and YPS advocacy. The session offered an opportunity not only to learn about diverse projects and contexts, but also to identify common challenges and priorities among youth organizations working across different regions. 

Over the following days, participants engaged in thematic discussions focused on key issues within the YPS agenda. Topics included the growing role of digital technologies and AI in peacebuilding efforts, as well as the importance of meaningful youth civic participation in peace processes. The programme also incorporated visits to youth-led peacebuilding initiatives and community spaces in Mombasa, providing participants with opportunities to explore how peacebuilding principles are applied in practice within the city’s multicultural context.

At the heart of the exchange were participant-led discussions on the methods, challenges, lessons learned, and successful practices emerging from participants’ organizations and local contexts. These conversations culminated in a collaborative effort to identify and document twelve best practices that can strengthen youth participation in peacebuilding processes. Beyond producing a tangible output, the process created a space for mutual learning and critical reflection, allowing participants to examine both the opportunities and obstacles facing youth peacebuilding efforts across different regions.

The structure of the exchange reflected the ethos of Amani Pamoja’s youth-led programming. The reflection circles, collaborative planning sessions, site visits to youth-led community spaces, and cultural exchange activities were designed to foster trust, dialogue, and relationship-building among participants. By centering participants’ experiences and expertise, the exchange sought to move beyond traditional training models and instead cultivate a lasting learning partnership between youth peacebuilders across Europe and East Africa that would endure long beyond the week-long exchange. 

At its core, the exchange was designed not as a standalone event, but as the beginning of an ongoing process. Participants were encouraged to build relationships, continue exchanging experiences beyond the workshop, and explore future opportunities for collaboration. In this sense, the Mombasa exchange marked only the first step toward strengthening a transnational network of young peacebuilders committed to advancing peace and security through youth participation.

Looking Ahead

The next phase of Amani Pamoja will bring together a new cohort of participants, this time in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain, for an exchange focused on advocacy and policy dialogue. Scheduled to take place from 27 November to 3 December 2026, the exchange aims to strengthen participants’ confidence, knowledge, and practical skills in advocating for peace and engaging with policymaking processes.

The exchange in Spain will be followed by a series of youth participation activities within Europe and East Africa. Between December 2026 and August 2027, seventy-five young leaders from Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will participate in policy dialogue initiatives at local and national levels. Similarly, seventy-five participants from the partner European countries will take part in a range of peacebuilding activities in Germany, Italy, and Spain. 

Through these exchanges and follow-on initiatives, Amani Pamoja continues to strengthen connections across continents, elevate youth voices in peace and security processes, and demonstrate the importance of youth-led approaches to building more peaceful and inclusive societies.