About the Project
In Somalia, youth face deep social fragmentation due to clan divisions, displacement, and cycles of conflict. While often sidelined from formal peace processes, Somali youth especially women and persons with disabilities hold unique potential as storytellers and peacebuilders.
Youth Media Lab for Peace is a six-month, youth-led initiative, supported by Youth for Peace: UNESCO Intercultural Leadership Programme, 2025. This initiative designed to foster intercultural dialogue and social cohesion through digital storytelling. The project will train 20 young people from diverse communities in Mogadishu, including internally displaced youth, women, and persons with disabilities, to use smartphones, audio recorders, and accessible editing tools to document local peace narratives.
Key activities
- Media Training Bootcamp (1 month):Practical workshops on storytelling, video editing, podcasting, social media advocacy, and inclusive communication. Sessions will be accessible, featuring sign language interpretation and captioning.
- Mentored Content Creation:Each participant will develop a short video, photo essay, or podcast episode highlighting a peace-related story from their community—whether a local reconciliation effort, an inclusive cultural tradition, or a personal journey overcoming identity-based division.
- Online Launch & Global Forum:The final youth-produced content will be shared on social media platforms and featured in an in-person global forum to amplify youth voices across Somalia and beyond.
This scalable model empowers youth as peacebuilders and can be replicated in other Somali regions or fragile contexts. Success will be monitored through participant feedback and online reach metrics.
By elevating youth-led narratives of peace and resilience, Youth Media Lab for Peace directly supports UNESCO’s theme: “Learning to Collaborate for a Shared Future.” The project fosters connection across differences and positions Somali youth as powerful agents of unity in a world on the move