This year, we are thrilled to announce that the PeaceTalks will be extended to the Great Lakes Region. Our inaugural event will take place on Tuesday, March 28th, 2023, from 10:00-12:00 AM at the Kiriri Garden Hotel in Bujumbura.

The Great Lakes YouthTalks, a part of the two-day Youth Summit for Peace, offers a unique opportunity for young people to share their personal stories and experiences on the theme of “Youth Leadership for Peace.” The event aims to showcase the constructive contributions of youth towards promoting peace and security in the region, emphasizing that everyone can play a role in building peace.

Our impressive line-up of eight speakers hail from diverse backgrounds and professional spheres, highlighting that each individual, irrespective of age or status, can contribute meaningfully to peace-building efforts. Through personal storytelling, they will inspire action and provide good practices in peacebuilding and conflict management.

We are proud to be associated with the global PeaceTalks initiative, now in its 10th year, which has featured 180 speakers from over 50 countries. The initiative aims to promote personal storytelling and encourage practical solutions towards building peace.

The Great Lakes YouthTalks will be recorded and made available on www.peacetalks.net and various social media platforms. This event seeks to foster regional dialogue between youth and political decision-makers on the meaningful participation of young people in peace and security.

The Great Lakes Youth Talks are organised by Interpeace together with regional partners — Centre d’alerte et de prévention des conflits (Burundi), Action pour la paix et la concorde (DRC), Pole Institute (DRC), Refugee Law Project (Uganda), Never Again Rwanda (Rwanda) and Vision jeunesse nouvelle (Rwanda) — and with support from the European Union and the Swiss Development Cooperation.

The Great Lakes YouthTalks will feature the following speakers: