Youth, Women, Peace and Security
Peace and security are at the heart of WOVOP’s mission. This commitment traces back to our beginnings as the Student Talks program, where we witnessed firsthand how conflict, violence, and insecurity affect not only schools but also families, communities, and the future of young people.
Over the years, we have learned that sustainable peace can only be achieved when women and young people are meaningfully included in decision-making and peacebuilding efforts. Through this thematic area, WOVOP works to strengthen the leadership, participation, and resilience of women and youth in preventing conflict and building peaceful communities.
Our programs equip young people, particularly girls and young women, with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead processes in dialogue, mediation, conflict prevention, social cohesion, and community recovery. We also create opportunities for women and youth to engage in local, national, and regional peace and security processes, ensuring their voices help shape more inclusive and sustainable peace across Kisumu County and throughout Kenya.
We believe that when women and young people are supported to lead, communities become more resilient, inclusive, and better prepared to prevent and respond to conflict.
Art for Peace
We believe that art is a powerful language for peace. It creates opportunities for people to express themselves, process emotions, strengthen relationships, and engage in conversations that might otherwise be difficult to have. Through creativity, communities can challenge violence, promote healing, and inspire positive social change.
Art for Peace uses a range of creative approaches, including painting, drawing, murals, dance, music, poetry, storytelling, theatre, photography, meditation, and yoga, to promote peace education, social cohesion, mental well-being, and community resilience. These artistic spaces encourage participants to reflect on issues affecting their communities, share lived experiences, and collectively imagine peaceful solutions.
One example focused on first-time voters in Kisumu East, recognising that many young people are targeted during election periods due to limited civic knowledge and political manipulation. Rather than relying solely on traditional civic education, the project combined painting, meditation, yoga, and facilitated dialogue to create safe spaces where young people could learn about peaceful democratic participation, reflect on their role in society, and reject violence as a means of political expression.
The artwork created during these sessions became a tool for community advocacy. Peace-themed paintings and creative pieces were displayed publicly, sparking conversations on democracy, tolerance, responsible leadership, and peaceful coexistence. Through this process, participants became ambassadors of peace, using creativity to influence their peers and communities.
As WOVOP grows, we envision Art for Peace becoming a vibrant platform where artists, young people, schools, and communities use creativity to promote dialogue, healing, inclusion, and civic participation.
Partner with us
This work grows through partners, peace practitioners, facilitators, and organizations who believe in investing in young women as leaders in peace and security.