Want lasting peace? Empower the youth

A loud warning echoes through Uganda’s beautiful scenery, a call to action to focus on the country’s untapped resource: its youth. Situated at a critical juncture, the youth represent a force that has the capacity to either spark war or provide the path toward sustainable peace. 

This forewarning creates the groundwork for an engaging story that calls on Uganda to actively support its youth’s economic empowerment-a revolutionary project that turns them from statistics into the creators of prosperity. 

The stakes in this project are enormous: if Uganda does not give priority to the intentional empowerment of its youth, its youthful population could turn out to be a dangerous liability rather than a demographic asset.

A wave of youth unrest could pave the way for a generalised sense of unease that would eventually turn into hostilities. This is a significant threat to the security and stability of the entire East African region as well as beyond; it is not a problem limited to any one country. 

The idea of economic empowerment-a comprehensive strategy that goes beyond the traditional definition of job creation and includes education, career training, and entrepreneurship-lays the foundation of this imperative. The intention is to shape a generation equipped with assets, intelligence, and the ability to actively participate in the economy of the country. Ignoring this requirement could result in a generation of young people who lack rights, which would be a perfect environment for the seeds of instability and violence to germinate. 

Unchecked unemployment frequently takes the form of social unrest, but imagining a different outcome reveals a transformative potential. Imagine a world in which regenerative agriculture and sustainable technology take centre stage, acting not only as economic engines but also as strong barriers against the rising tide of insecurity among young people who have lost hope.

According to this vision, economic growth is a powerful barrier that acts as a shield against conflict rather than just a statistic.

It becomes clear that empowering the youth is both a wise investment and Uganda’s best line of defence against the impending threats that it faces. Ignoring this requirement is a dangerous gamble that could have an impact on the stability and prosperity of the entire East African region, as well as beyond Uganda’s borders. 

Therefore, it is morally required, not just a practical tactic, for Uganda’s youth to be empowered in order to achieve long-lasting peace.

Uganda can unleash the potential of its young people and make them active participants in the development of the country by investing in education, career training, and entrepreneurship.

Regenerative agriculture and sustainable technology act as beacons, pointing the younger generation toward sectors of the economy that not only generate jobs but also strengthen the country against the threats of the contemporary world.

The message is very clear: undervaluing young people’s economic empowerment is a risky move with potentially disastrous results.

On the other hand, accepting this requirement is an investment in a time when Uganda’s youth design a prosperous, stable, and peaceful country.

In this vision, Uganda’s youth, an untapped powerhouse, are not merely numbers but rather a force that drives the country toward long-term peace and prosperity.  

Innocent Byegarazo