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Ukubambana youth declaration on peace and national healing
Zimbabwe Youth Organisations Network
July 29, 2011

Preamble

We, the young people of Zimbabwe, gathered under the auspices of Ukubambana Youth Peace Summit

Convened by the Zimbabwe Youth Organisations Network (ZIYON) from the 21st to 25th of September 2010 commemorating the 2010 International Day of Peace,

Desirous to witness the realisation and sustenance of true and lasting peace in Zimbabwe.

Committing ourselves to be part of the Zimbabwe Peace Process and the national healing process

Convinced that true national healing can only be achieved through addressing several multiple issues which threaten social stability such as health, governance, economic, social, gender, cultural issues among others

Hereby make the following demands and commit ourselves to the following:

Commitments

1. We commit ourselves to be agents and ambassadors of peace, shunning and rejecting violence and further commit ourselves to initiate and take part in all peace related efforts at individual, collective, community, societal, national and international level.

2. We commit ourselves to active and constructive engagement in the economic, social and political processes at all levels. We further commit ourselves to upholding an ethos of transparency and accountability, shunning corruption and apathy.

3. We commit ourselves to peaceful participation and constructive engagement with all stakeholders for the realisation and advancement of our fundamental liberties and rights, including but not limited to gender, health, academic freedoms and all socio-economic and cultural rights.

4. We commit ourselves to the promotion of a peaceful and tolerant political and electoral environment to sustain national stability, prosperity and attainment of meaningful and participatory democracy.

5. We commit ourselves to contribute meaningfully to the national healing processes, and further commit ourselves to reject being used as agents of violence in our nation.

Demands

1. We call upon the Government of Zimbabwe to engage in broad based consultation with the youth, towards the implementation of a voluntary, non militarised and non partisan youth training programme for the purpose of imparting critical life skills to the youth, through the school curriculum.

2. We call upon the Government to implement policies and adopt laws, supported by the necessary administrative and technical infrastructure to enhance the economic development, empowerment and emancipation of the youth.

3. We call upon the Government to adopt specific, measures to ensure that state institutions and state
machinery are not manipulated by any state and non state actor for the purposes of intimidation, ruthless suppression of dissent, violence or stifling the voice of the youth. We further call upon the Government to ensure that State institutions and state machinery will serve and not subvert the will of the youth through a specific pro-youth regulatory framework of these state institutions and other state machinery.

4. We call upon the Government of Zimbabwe to institutionalise and set up an independent constitutional youth body which shall be responsible for capacity building of the youth, impartation of life skills, youth leadership development, the realisation of a quota representation of youths in government, policy formulation and implementation, decision making, as well as administering over the affairs of the youth, including a special fund for the youth for these purposes.

5. We call upon the Government of Zimbabwe to establish a conducive and enabling political environment to enhance positive youth participation in the political processes, including but not limited to the electoral process, non partisan state media and non partisan state security forces.

Young Voices Network, YCDZ, Development Reality Institute, YCDZ, Contradictions Arts for
Development Trust, Joshua Foundation, Zimbabwe Youth Council, Renewal International, SAYWHAT,
Students Solidarity Trust, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Youth Committee, Institute for Young Women
Development, Ebony and Ivory, WCC, Bornfree, Pacesetters, Youth Agenda, Kadoma Youth Association, Everyday Life Theatre, Zimbabwe Young Women's Network on Peace Building, Youth in Business Forum, GHYF, PSN, Achieve Your Goal Trust, CHRA, ZINASU, ROHR Zimbabwe, YWALM, SCMZ, Youth in Business Forum, Platform for Youth Development, Lupane Youth for Development, Youth Forum, The Arts and AIDS Foundation Zimbabwe, Youth Initiative for Democracy Zimbabwe, CSSD, Mbare Residents Trust, Mission to Live, Gutu Youth Forum, Partners for Growth, Forum for Restoration of Democracy, AYJ, Intscha.com, CHOSEN, BABY Zimbabwe, SHEEPGATE, CCDZ, NMCS, CPIA, PVN, Youth Alliance for Democracy, YAZ, VOP, Rovambira, Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights, Chitungwiza Progressive Residents Association, Solar Net Zimbabwe, GYCA Zimbabwe Chapter, Network of African Youth for Development Zimbabwe Chapter.

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