Guided by the vision of the UNSC/Res/2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, its’ proposed actions, as well as, the perceived lack of an all-stakeholders coordinated approach towards its’ on-ground implementation in Albania, we – as a group of young people committed to the indispensable role of youth in preventing, resolving and transforming conflict patterns – aim to initiate a nationwide effort of coordinating action, pooling resources, and collectively strategizing interventions onwards the effective inclusion of young Albanians into the Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation processes. 

As a first step, in the framework of Albania’s non-Permanent Membership at the UN Security Council (2022-2023 Mandate), we aim at advocating for the introduction of a Youth mainstreaming component, within its’ Plan of Action. To that end, our initiative is set to develop as a co-design process, including grassroots youth actors, regional initiatives, and international stakeholders – that will collectively frame and incept a National Network on Youth, Peace, and Security. 

Such a bottom-up process is planned to be supported by accurate data from a nationwide Survey and local workshops, which in parallel, will feed into the design and content of a “Peace Week 2022”, which we envision to transform into a yearly high-point of Peace talks and activities. It is set to shape the framework under which an array of initiatives and interventions from stakeholders, will get the stage and gain momentum. Each approaching peace and societal cohesion from diverse angles, they all strive to advance an all-inclusive effort to empower youth and upscale their role in building sustainable communities, at both local and global levels.