Kofi Annan on Facing the Future Together

Looking back at some of the media headlines from the past year, it is all too easy to conjure a bleak picture of the state of our world, and in particular the struggles younger people face on a daily basis. But now is not the time to lose faith in humanity. We must renew and strengthen our international systems: from epidemics to climate change, we need to set aside our narrow self-interests and realize that we are in this world together, for better or for worse.

Whether it is refugees fleeing Rakhine province in Myanmar, the women and children enslaved by ISIS in the Middle East, or the victims of the terrorist attack in Manchester, one fact remains the same: our youth too often pay the price for the mistakes of previous generations, and are disproportionally affected by conflict and violence.

A One Young World survey of 2,000 youth leaders from around the world found that more than half of respondents said that they had experienced conflict during their lifetime, with 60 per cent of them living in fear of terrorism within their own countries. Tragically, violent and brutal conflicts are often fought by young people.

Yet they are not just victims of the imperfect and confusing world they were born into; they also shape and define their societies. When we look at the young leaders, we see that they are already transforming their world.

Peace is a universal goal, but it is not enough to sign a peace deal and lay down arms­—that is only the beginning. The voices of victims must be heard in order to build a lasting and sustainable peace. Youth must have a place at the peace table. Experience has shown me that a peace agreement that ignores them cannot last; nor will reconciliation prove durable if it does not encompass those who have suffered the most, whatever their age.

Several generations have been caught up in the Colombian conflict, which has lasted half a century and devastated hundreds of thousands of lives. But the Colombia peace process shows that even the most protracted of conflicts can eventually be resolved peacefully when there is the political will to do so.

Fortunately, the young are resilient and optimistic. I have seen their passion and enthusiasm through my work with Extremely Together, an initiative started by my Foundation with the support of One Young World and the European Commission. This initiative has brought together 10 incredible and youthful leaders from around the world who have launched the first peer-to-peer guide on dealing with extremism.

In Pictures: One Young World Summit, Bogotá, 2017

I encourage younger people everywhere to join the cause of peace. For those who do, I offer them some pointers from experience, which I believe are vital in building lasting peace.

The first is trust—the essential element for moving beyond conflict. It must be built, step by step, into a momentum of confidence and inclusion. Second, if a peace process is to succeed, it must be inclusive and based on a frank dialogue that includes all sides and all generations in society. Third, and most importantly, the voices of the victims, whoever they may be, must be heard and carefully considered. Justice and resolution require both political leadership and people’s commitment.

The One Young World Summit in Bogotá gave me an insight into the passion, creativity and joie de vivre of today’s youth. The energy around the Summit was tremendous, and the diversity of the delegates, who come from different cultures, religions and ethnicities, was harnessed by a sense that we are in this world together and together we must build a global culture of peace.

In Bogotá, I met with Laura Ulloa, a Colombian who was kidnapped by militants from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) when she was only 11 years old and held hostage for seven months. She now works to reintegrate former militants into society and shows a maturity and understanding for reconciliation that is far above and beyond her years.

There were other moving stories that I heard as well. One of them was from Ousmane Ba, a Guinean. His story was a testament to the passion and potential of African youth. As a civically engaged teenager in 2009, Ousmane encouraged a group of friends to join a protest against the junta government that had come to power in the coup d’état the year before. He went to the protest with seven of his friends—only three of them made it home. Eight years later, Ousmane is a prominent peace campaigner, working especially to promote the rights and education of women in Guinea.

As a West African myself, it fills me with pride to see young men like Ousmane leading the way in such important global issues. As he proclaimed himself a feminist and received a massive cheer from the gathered delegates in Bogotá, Juan Manuel Santos, the President of Colombia and a fellow Nobel Peace Laureate, also clapped and cheered. He, too, recognizes and understands that it is an imperative for the world that we allow the voices of youth to be heard. Bogotá was inspiring. Better connected, better educated and more aware of events beyond their own borders than any previous generation of global youth, these young people are able to connect and collaborate across the world, to inspire each other and develop solutions to even the most intractable and entrenched differences and problems. It fills me with hope to know that the flexibility and innovation of the next generation can be of great value in the peacemaking process.

The path to peace is fraught with difficulties and dilemmas. But the reward is worth the struggle. An inspiring example can be found in Colombia: the peace process reminds us that we must never lose hope. It also reminds us that patience and persistence are indispensable qualities for successful peacemakers.

We need hope and strong leadership. Not just leadership from government and global bodies, but a leadership where everyone plays a role. In societies emerging from conflict, it is up to each individual and institution to stress what unites us over that which sets us apart. Let us remember that you are never too young to lead, and never too old to learn.

We often talk of future leaders. But I saw in Bogotá that many young people are already leaders. With their remarkable dynamism, insight and enthusiasm, they are energetically seeking a fairer and more peaceful world. I wish them every success.

One Young World hosts yearly global summits where young leaders and activists from 196 countries come together to share their insight into how to build a better future, and to hear and be heard by One Young World Counsellors—world leaders with experience in shaping global development. Past summits have taken place in Ottawa, Johannesburg and Bangkok. The 2018 One Young World Summit will take place in the Hague.