Peace for Life Ghana Joins National Launch of Ghana Civil Society Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security
Accra, Ghana | 14 October 2026
Peace for Life Ghana (PLG) has joined civil society organizations and key stakeholders from across Ghana for the official launch of the Ghana Civil Society Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security (GCSCYPS) and a two-day peer learning forum held in Accra. The forum was organized under the theme, “Strengthening Civil Society Collaboration to Advance the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda in Ghana.” It brought together youth-led and youth-focused civil society organizations, government institutions, development partners, peacebuilding practitioners and regional experts to strengthen collaboration around the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda.
Representing Peace for Life Ghana, the Executive Director participated in the discussions and shared the organization’s experience and perspectives from its community-based peacebuilding work, particularly its efforts to strengthen community dialogue, inclusive peace structures and local capacities for conflict prevention and resolution.
Strengthening Youth Participation in Peacebuilding
The launch comes at an important time as Ghana continues to strengthen the institutionalization of the Youth, Peace and Security agenda. The forum highlighted the importance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security and the African Union Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security, while also recognizing Ghana’s progress towards developing a National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security. For Peace for Life Ghana, the discussions reinforced an important principle: young people should not only be viewed as beneficiaries of peacebuilding interventions, but as active partners and leaders in creating peaceful, inclusive and resilient communities.
This principle is closely aligned with PLG’s community-based approach to peacebuilding, which emphasizes participation, dialogue, inclusion and strengthening the capacity of local actors to prevent and manage conflicts.
Learning, Sharing and Building Stronger Partnerships
A major feature of the forum was peer learning and knowledge exchange. Participants had the opportunity to share experiences and lessons from peacebuilding initiatives in Ghana and to learn from practitioners from The Gambia, Liberia and Nigeria, countries that have already developed National Action Plans on Youth, Peace and Security.
The forum also created space for civil society organizations to reflect on how they can contribute more effectively to Ghana’s YPS policy process from policy development and implementation to monitoring, accountability and evaluation. For Peace for Life Ghana, participation in the forum provided an opportunity to connect its grassroots peacebuilding experience with the broader national conversation and to identify opportunities for stronger collaboration with other CSOs, government institutions and development partners.
From Collaboration to Collective Action
The official launch of the Coalition represents an important step towards creating a stronger and more coordinated civil society voice on Youth, Peace and Security in Ghana. The Coalition aims to strengthen the capacity of youth-focused civil society organizations for coordination, collaboration and collective advocacy. Its objectives include strengthening members’ knowledge of the YPS agenda, facilitating peer learning, developing common advocacy priorities and establishing a platform for continued collaboration.
The forum concluded with a focus on defining the Coalition’s immediate priorities and developing mechanisms to keep it inclusive, agile and action-oriented. Participants also worked towards a Civil Society Communiqué containing recommendations for strengthening the implementation of the Youth, Peace and Security agenda in Ghana.
Peace for Life Ghana’s Commitment
Peace for Life Ghana welcomes the establishment of the Ghana Civil Society Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security and looks forward to contributing to its work. As an organization working with communities in Northern Ghana, PLG recognizes that sustainable peace requires local ownership, meaningful youth participation, inclusive dialogue and strong partnerships. The organization is committed to continuing to support initiatives that equip communities, particularly young people and other vulnerable groups, with the knowledge, skills and platforms needed to contribute positively to peace and social cohesion. The launch of the Coalition therefore marks not simply the beginning of another platform, but an opportunity for civil society organizations to work together, learn from one another and collectively influence the future of peace and security in Ghana.
Peace for Life Ghana is proud to be part of this important national conversation and looks forward to working with fellow Coalition members and partners to advance a more peaceful, inclusive and resilient Ghana.
