Advocacy, Peace Building and Youth Leadership

Empowered and engaged youth are critical to realizing the SDGs within vulnerable regions and ecosystems. Although Youth Leadership and Civic Engagement are common in many parts of the world, they are lacking throughout much of East Africa, including Uganda. Without resources and programs to nurture the next generation of youth leaders and to engage them in activities that cultivate impact and agency, we will fail to address the pervasive challenges associated with Climate Change that impact the most vulnerable.

Since 2017, Assure Uganda (AU) has been working toward its goal of training and mentoring 5,000 youth leaders who are actively engaging in advocating for justice and peace in their communities, and who demonstrate tangible contributions to societal development. We believe that through targeted capacity-building programs, mentorship and community engagement initiatives, we will provide the necessary resources and support to enable youth to develop the skills including digital and confidence required to effectively address social injustices, promote peace, and make valuable contributions to society. 

Through our work, we address the UN Sustainable Development Goals and other calls for youth empowerment, justice advocacy, and peace building in Uganda. Many have documented the growing need for youth to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to address social injustices and contribute to peace and development. Through collaborating with government agencies, civil society organiztaions and private holder stakeholders, we will work together to create an enabling environment that provides equal opportunities and support systems for youth to thrive, ensuring their empowerment and sucess.

We invite SUNY students to join our efforts and contribute to the following project opportunities, engaging with members of our leadership team.

Accepted students may select from the following project opportunities. Please indicate your interest and specialized skills or experiences in your application letter/email.

• Advocacy and peace building                                                          

We invite SUNY students to collaborate with Assure Uganda on advocacy campaigns related to justice, peace, and human rights. This may involve initiatives such as organizing awareness-raising events, conducting social media campaigns, or relating educational materials. By combining our efforts, Assure Uganda and SUNY students can amplify our collective impact and reach a broader audience.

• Youth-led policy dialogues and sharing                                       

Students can contribute their expertise and specialized skills by developing and/or conducting workshops, training sessions, or supporting dialogue forums. 

• Research and Evaluation                                                                

Students can collaborate with Assure Uganda on research projects related to youth empowerment, leadership development and peace building. This may involve developing and analyzing surveys, interviews, and data analysis to assess the impact of programs and improve effectiveness while informing future initiatives.                                                            

• Assure Uganda

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UNSDG, ELN, SUNY, Project Challenge, IITG