Youth Governance in Action: IPYG and the Lusaka City Youth Council in Zambia
This collaboration highlights how youth-led civic engagement can connect peacebuilding with everyday urban challenges such as public safety, sanitation, and environmental care.
Who They Are: Lusaka City Youth Council
The Lusaka City Youth Council is an official youth body operating under the Lusaka City Council. Established in 2015, the council is composed of 38 youth commissioners, aged 15 to 18, each representing one of Lusaka’s 38 districts.
Structured as a youth mock parliament, the council provides a platform where young people can voice opinions on local issues and participate directly in community action. Its work focuses on areas such as environmental protection, climate change, public health, sanitation, and youth rights, allowing youth perspectives to be reflected in city-level discussions and campaigns.
Becoming an Official IPYG Partner
On April 22, 2025, the Lusaka City Youth Council formally joined International Peace Youth Group as an official partner organization.
The partnership began through a joint street-cleaning initiative known as the “Clean Up, Crime Down” Peace Street Campaign, inspired by the broken windows theory. The campaign aimed to reduce crime and strengthen community safety by improving neighborhood environments through youth-led action.
Further discussions on long-term cooperation took place during the IPYG Zambia Youth Leaders Peace Conference on May 26, reinforcing both sides’ commitment to sustained collaboration.
Youth-Led Action in Local Communities
Following several rounds of coordination and official approval from the Lusaka City Council’s Public Health Department, the partnership was formally endorsed. Since then, IPYG and the Youth Council have co-organized monthly cleanup and environmental improvement activities, typically involving 50 to 150 young participants.
These activities take place in areas such as local markets, including the Northmead Market district, and are jointly hosted with the Lusaka City Council. Through hands-on participation, young people experience what it means to improve their own city while building confidence, civic awareness, and a sense of responsibility toward their communities.
Youth Voices on Peace and Leadership
Bernard Kambole, a youth commissioner with the Lusaka City Youth Council, reflected on the partnership by noting that working with IPYG and HWPL Zambia helped him better understand peace, leadership, and social influence. He described the cleanup activities as meaningful experiences that encouraged unity, conflict resolution, and a deeper appreciation of shared humanity.
Victor Kagoli, Director of Public Health at the Lusaka City Council, emphasized that governance cannot be completed by older generations alone. He stated that youth are co-stewards of national governance and must grow by learning and acting alongside adults. According to him, cooperation with IPYG has provided young people with a practical foundation for developing real governance skills.
He also delivered a message to youth worldwide, encouraging them not to wait passively for decisions made by others, but to recognize themselves as active agents of peace and change.
A Model for Youth-Centered Peacebuilding
The partnership between IPYG and the Lusaka City Youth Council demonstrates how peacebuilding can be rooted in everyday civic responsibility. By combining youth governance structures with practical community action, the collaboration shows that peace is not only discussed in conferences, but practiced through consistent, local engagement.
As joint activities continue, this partnership stands as an example of how youth-led initiatives can strengthen cities, foster social cohesion, and translate peace into visible action at the community level.
Source: https://vo.la/RCXQUQR
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