The Youth Peace Mediator’s Mentoring Programme, a one-year-long capacity-building project implemented by Finland and South Africa's Foreign Ministries gathers young peacebuilders from around the world to learn, discuss and be mentored by experienced peace mediators and practitioners. The aim is to build a network of young peace mediators and provide them with practical tools for future use in the wider field of conflict resolution, peace negotiation and mediation. The project is implemented through in-person workshops in South Africa and Finland, study visits to the headquarters of the UN and the AU, as well as online sessions to build the participants’ capacity in specific thematic areas in the field of peace mediation.

The fifteen selected participants include representatives from South Africa, Finland, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Qatar, South Sudan, Türkiye, and Ukraine. An important criterion in selecting the other participants was a broad geographical representation. Following the UN Security Council Resolution on Youth, Peace and Security, the programme covers 18-29-year-olds.

Interpeace serves as the administrative and substantive secretariat of the Youth Peace Mediators Programme. We are supporting the implementation of this pioneering pilot by managing logistics, coordinating four in-person convenings across Pretoria, Addis Ababa, New York, and Helsinki, and facilitating virtual sessions, while also maintaining an interactive digital platform for peer learning and ongoing engagement. Beyond logistics, Interpeace provides strategic guidance, expert content, and technical support. We help shape the programme’s methodology, deliver sessions on youth, peace, and security, and draw on our global peacebuilding network to offer mentorship, training, and thematic expertise. As part of our commitment to meaningful youth engagement, we also lead monitoring and evaluation efforts to ensure continuous learning, accountability, and impact throughout the programme’s lifecycle.