LocationsBy Melody Azinim, Peace and Governance Analyst, UNDP Ghana, Edward Ampratwum, Head of Transformative Governance, UNDP Ghana, Hamza Sisse, Project Assistant Peace and Governance, and William Adongo, Project Officer, PVE, UNDP Ghana
Different Contexts, Common Aspirations
August 12, 2026
UNDP
Advancing youth, peace and development in Ghana.
Across Ghana, young people live in different contexts, yet their aspirations converge: security, dignity, opportunity, inclusion and the power to shape their own future. Investing in their agency is not only a development priority; it is a foundation for peace.
One generation, different realities
A young person in a border community navigating insecurity, a graduate searching for dignified work, a farmer confronting climate-induced environmental pressures, and a student exposed to misinformation may experience Ghana in profoundly different ways. Yet the future they seek is strikingly similar: a fair chance to thrive, to be heard and to contribute.
As the United Nations marks International Youth Day 2026 under the theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations”, this shared ambition carries a clear message: youth development cannot be separated from peace, security and social cohesion. When young people are safe, economically empowered and included in decisions, communities become more resilient and development becomes more sustainable.
This imperative is especially urgent as countries along the Gulf of Guinea manage spillover risks associated with instability in the Sahel, alongside evolving internal conflict dynamics. In response, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ghana and its partners are investing in prevention, social cohesion and livelihood opportunities for young people. These efforts include catalytic United Nations Peacebuilding Fund initiatives, the Governments of Denmark and Norway-funded Preventing and Responding to Violent Extremism in the Atlantic Corridor programme, and the Government of Japan-funded Prevention Facility for the Gulf of Guinea initiative, among others.
Together, these interventions advance the United Nations Youth, Peace and Security Agenda and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250, which recognize young people not as passive beneficiaries, but as essential partners in preventing conflict, sustaining peace and driving inclusive development.
Building resilience at the frontlines
In 42 at-risk communities across the Upper East, North East, Upper West and Savannah regions, UNDP-supported projects have helped establish community-based peace structures, including Community Peace Committees and local early warning and response mechanisms. Young people are contributing to dialogue, community outreach and early action, strengthening local capacity to prevent conflict and reducing the vulnerability of at-risk youth to recruitment by violent extremist groups.
Through dialogue platforms, radio engagements and digital and social media outreach, hundreds of young people have deepened their understanding of peacebuilding, conflict prevention and civic responsibility. The result is a shift in role and outlook: young people are moving from the margins of decision-making to become trusted influencers and architects of solutions in their communities.
Prevention has also reached places where ideas and public narratives take shape. In partnership with the National Peace Council and Regional Peace Councils, UNDP extended prevention of violent extremism sensitization to students in tertiary institutions such as the Community Health Nursing Training College in Navrongo, Regentropfen University College, Tumu College of Education and Bagabaga College of Education in Tamale. In parallel, UNDP, the Media Foundation for West Africa and DUBAWA strengthened the capacity of 54 young journalists, and online bloggers across Northern Ghana in fact-checking, peace journalism, the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to disinform the public. These skills are vital to protecting social cohesion and preventing tensions from escalating.
Momentum is also growing around Ghana’s broader Youth, Peace and Security agenda. Since the establishment of the Technical Working Group supporting the enactment Ghana's Youth, Peace and Security National Action Plan (YPS NAP) in 2024, UNDP has been a key partner, providing technical expertise, strategic guidance, and financial support to advance the Youth, Peace and Security agenda across the country. In January 2026, UNDP and the National Youth Authority supported regional youth and multi-stakeholder consultations to inform Ghana’s National Action Plan on Youth Peace and Security. The consultations engaged 426 participants across the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Savannah regions, including youth leaders, traditional authorities, security personnel, government officials, civil society organizations and development partners.
Civic participation has complemented these prevention efforts. Through a catalytic Peacebuilding Fund initiative which created civic platforms for young people to engage with local authorities, eight Youth Parliament sessions (seven at district level and one at regional level), reached 384 young people. Young women and men, persons with disabilities, Fulbe youth, local authorities and community leaders have used these platforms to identify concerns and propose practical solutions for peace, social cohesion and the prevention of violent extremism.
Democracy and Governance Learning Youth Cafés created additional safe and inclusive spaces for young people to discuss governance, leadership, civic participation and social accountability. Together, the Youth Parliaments and Youth Cafés have amplified young voices in local decision-making and reinforced the links between active citizenship, economic empowerment and peaceful community engagement.
Economic empowerment as a peacebuilding strategy
Peace becomes more durable when young people can build viable livelihoods and see a future for themselves in their communities. Across vulnerable areas of northern Ghana, targeted livelihood and value-chain support, entrepreneurship training, financial inclusion and skills development are helping translate aspiration into opportunity.
More than 2,500 direct beneficiaries across 40 communities have received support in climate-smart agriculture, agro-processing, trading, weaving, financial literacy, branding, marketing and other income-generating activities. These investments do more than create jobs and incomes. They strengthen resilience to social and economic shocks, expand choices and help address the exclusion and hopelessness that can heighten vulnerability.
A pathway from risk to opportunity
One young beneficiary in the Upper West Region, Gunibio Dangnikuu, 24, from Fielmuo, previously relied on illegal mining. He has now transitioned into skilled welding and is the only provider of welding services in his community. His journey shows what becomes possible when practical skills and viable economic alternatives meet a young person’s determination.
For young people in underserved and border communities, productive assets, skills, mentorship and access to financial services represent far more than economic support. They nurture purpose, belonging and hope. In this sense, economic empowerment is not an add-on to peacebuilding. It is one of its most practical and powerful strategies to enhancing the social contract between the youth and their communities.
From common aspirations to a shared future
International Youth Day 2026 is both a celebration and a call to action. "Different Contexts, Common Aspirations" require solutions that are locally grounded, inclusive and responsive. Common aspirations require institutions and partners to work with young people, not simply for them.
UNDP reaffirms its commitment to investing in young people as partners in peace and development: strengthening social cohesion, expanding economic opportunity, promoting civic engagement and building resilience against conflict. Ghana’s young people are already leading change in their communities. The task now is to widen the pathways through which their ideas, energy and leadership can shape national progress.
When every young person can pursue security, dignity, opportunity and inclusion, different contexts need not produce divided futures. They can become the starting point for one shared national aspiration: a more peaceful, resilient and prosperous Ghana.
Gunibio Dangnikuu, 24, from Fielmuo in the Upper West Region, used to depend on illegal mining for income. Today, he has trained as a skilled welder and is now the only welder serving his community. His story is a clear example of what happens when practical skills, economic opportunities, and personal determination come together.