Youth Coalition for Peace

Originally, I went with CPAR to Uganda simply because they were to be my vehicle to get to the place where I could see and experience the children devastated by war. And just for me – they arranged a tour of GUSCO: a reception centre for escaping Child Soldiers.
Receiving Child Soldiers from the bush is not something CPAR works with directly. As you’ve heard, their work is much broader and far reaching.
However, having said that, you can hardly be an Aid agency in a war-torn area and not have some direct touch on Child Soldiers. This is where Youth Coalition for Peace comes in!

“Happiness tastes like a sweet orange; /Juice that looks as a ripe mango / with an attracting smell of a rose flower. / I wish to live in harmony with joy and a smiling face.”

A few years ago CPAR initiated a project to establish a trial YCFP team. The team was comprised of specific demographics:
•youth from the bush (child soldiers); // Child Mothers;// Amputees// And “regular” youth
The initial training focused on - conflict resolution and - peer-to-peer support strategies as well as - recreation-based peace-building awareness-raising and advocacy - and identifying signs of emotional trauma (eg PTSD).
It was so successful that since then, and in Gulu District, a permanent Youth Peace Resource Centre has been built. This allows for ongoing training and support for this team of young people so that they might be able to keep moving forward in their agenda to instill peace among Acholi families who are receiving back their abducted young people.
With CPAR’s support the YCFP now has a weekly advocacy radio program and is running peace-building programs beyond their original circle of influence.