Wrapping up 2022

On the 8th of February 2023, we held our annual end of the year meeting with the ICO

Youth Council. Just one year after the official launch of the ICO Youth Council, all members had the chance to come together in person, share their thoughts, ideas and opinions and socialise in a warm friendly atmosphere.

Emphasis was really placed on the importance of youth voices and the meaningful participation of young people in peacebuilding and decision-making processes at the local and global level. The ICO Youth Council management team was able to share how each task contributed to ICO's work and realised impact.

Youth Council members were able to provide feedback to the team. A big part of the members’ testimonials shined a light on the way the given tasks and their involvement in the Youth Council has equipped them with a meaningful sense of contributing to peace. Additionally, as highlighted by one of the members they had the opportunity to “receive eye-opening workshops by young people and professionals, including a young change maker with lived experiences of conflict and Dr Gershon Baskin, renowned peace-builder influential in policy-making".

Personally, such experiences, as part of the Youth Council, have shaped how I view conflict transformation and peace-building processes.

Another member, Sara, pointed out that "it refreshing to see a youth council so eager to

engage young women and trust in their creative abilities”. All members expressed their

excitement to continue their involvement in the Youth Council and to enhance their

engagement in the projects.

The Youth Council leadership outlined that their plans to grow and improve the programme will be based on the members feedback and ideas.

Overall, members were satisfied with the leadership and organisation of the programme.

Members stressed that the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. Recommendations included more engagement with stakeholders, practitioners and change-makers in the form of participatory workshops. Additionally, members suggested the creation of social media platforms other than the already existing Linked In, to increase engagement within the council. Moreover, the incorporation of peer-to-peer learning as well as sharing additional learning and development resources on the issues that we engage with would boost the programme added value to the members.

Therefore, the impact of the Youth Council wasn’t only seen by ICO's realised impact and beneficiary satisfaction but also through the members’ personal development.