This year’s commemoration of Peace Day is special as the universe is grappling with a common enemy: the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has caused a switch in the manner in which the globe operates as it has shown the world that we are not really not each other’s enemies, and we must unite to battle against the common enemy that is the global pandemic. The theme for this year’s Peace Day is ‘Shaping Peace Together’ and the UN invited the world to spread compassion, kindness, and hope in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Youth-Led Gender Activism Towards Inclusive Peace-Building
Young women are at the intersection of these two agendas and should therefore be actively engaged in the conversations surrounding peace-building, peace-negotiations, and peace-keeping. It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the role of young people in furthering gender activism. Young women have particularly been previously excluded as ‘youth’ has been translated as ‘young men’ in the context of war, conflicts, and peace-building.