Colombian Youth Leading Change for Peace Joint Programme

Funded by the Government of Sweden, the “Colombian Youth Leading Change for Peace” Joint Programme (running from 2021 to 2024) is a collaborative effort between UNFPA and UNDP to empower youth as key actors in building sustainable peace in Colombia. Focused on the conflict-affected municipalities of Buenaventura and Santander de Quilichao, regions marked by displacement, violence and ethnic discrimination, the programme strengthens youth leadership and participation in peacebuilding processes.

Despite their potential, young people in these areas face limited access to quality education, employment opportunities, and decision-making spaces, leaving them vulnerable to violence, displacement, and marginalization. This initiative seeks to change that.

Working through youth-led organizations, councils, and community platforms, the programme promotes inclusive, gender-sensitive engagement, supports social innovation initiatives, and builds institutional capacity to recognize and protect youth as agents of change. Core activities include strengthening youth and institutional capacities, consolidating the regional youth alliance, and fostering intergenerational dialogue.

By amplifying youth voices and supporting their solutions to local challenges, this programme contributes to national peace efforts and global priorities, including the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, the SDGs, and Sweden’s Global Strategy on Sustainable Peace.