By Yvette Odoyo

In today’s world, the pursuit of sustainable development has become more critical than ever. It requires visionary leaders who can inspire and drive positive change, not just for their benefit, but for the well-being of future generations and the planet. This blog post explores practical examples of transformational leadership at various levels – individuals, systems, and societies – and delves into how they impact sustainable development. Furthermore, we’ll discuss the areas where transformational leadership is lacking and explore strategies to foster this essential quality in individuals, institutions, and systems.

Examples of Transformational Leadership for Sustainable Development:

Individuals: Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai serves as a remarkable example of an individual who transformed her community and beyond. Through the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, she empowered women to combat deforestation and promote environmental conservation. Her leadership not only improved livelihoods but also fostered sustainable development by planting trees and raising awareness.

Systems: Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness (GNH) index exemplifies transformational leadership at the system level. Instead of solely focusing on economic growth, Bhutan’s leadership adopted GNH as a holistic measure of well-being, incorporating sustainable development, environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and good governance. This approach ensures long-term sustainable development beyond GDP growth.

Societies: The Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden – stand as shining examples of transformational leadership at the societal level. These nations prioritize social welfare, equality, education, and environmental sustainability. Their leadership has resulted in inclusive societies with strong social safety nets, high living standards, and a commitment to sustainable development.

Identifying Gaps and Challenges: Unfortunately, transformational leadership remains lacking in regions plagued by political instability, weak governance, and limited resources. Additionally, areas with deep-rooted social inequalities, corruption, or conflicts struggle to adopt transformational practices. Lack of awareness, resistance to change, and short-term thinking also hinder the implementation of transformational leadership approaches.

Fostering Transformational Leadership:

Education and Awareness: To foster transformational leadership, education plays a pivotal role. Integrating sustainability into curricula at all levels and promoting leadership development programs can instill a long-term perspective, ethics, and social responsibility. By raising awareness, we can empower individuals to embrace sustainable practices and inspire change.

Empowering Individuals: Supporting individuals in developing leadership skills, critical thinking, and empathy is vital. Mentorship programs, leadership training, and collaborative platforms create environments conducive to transformational leadership. It is key to encourage individuals to think beyond their immediate interests and consider broader societal and environmental impacts.

Institutional Support: Institutions and organizations have a responsibility to promote sustainable development and encourage transformational leadership. By implementing policies that incentivize innovation, sustainable practices, and social responsibility, institutions can create an environment that nurtures transformational leaders. Embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion principles is also essential.

Policy and Governance: Governments and policymakers hold the power to foster transformational leadership on a systemic level. By implementing policies supporting sustainable development, environmental protection, and social justice, and ensuring good governance, they set the stage for change. Transparency, accountability, and public participation further drive transformational leadership.

Conclusion

At the heart of fostering transformational leadership lies human agency. It is about recognizing our potential to make a difference, challenging the status quo, and taking responsibility for our actions. Through individual agency, we can shape institutions and systems, influence decision-making processes, and promote sustainable development. Each one of us has the power to become a transformational leader and contribute to a better future.

By Yvette Odoyo

The United Nations Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 6 October 2022 reaffirms the commitment to human rights education and the implementation of the World Programme for Human Rights Education. As young people, we have a crucial role to play in this journey. So, let’s take a moment to reflect on what this resolution means for us and how we can make a difference through the World Programme for Human Rights Education.

Building Respect for Human Rights

Imagine a world where everyone understands and respects human rights. Well, that’s exactly what this resolution aims to achieve. It highlights the power of education in strengthening respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. By integrating human rights education into schools, colleges, and various professional sectors, we can equip ourselves with the knowledge and skills needed to stand up for our rights and the rights of others.

Aligning with Sustainable Development Goals

We appreciate the alignment of the World Programme for Human Rights Education with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Sustainable Development Goals specifically emphasize the importance of human rights education, and that’s where the youth come in. By incorporating human rights education into national plans of action, the program contributes to the broader goal of creating inclusive and equitable societies. By actively participating in the implementation of this program, we can contribute to creating accountable, just, and empowering societies, one step at a time. As youths we must show the world that we’re not just dreamers but doers!

Youth Empowerment

The Human Rights Council resolution recognizes the pivotal role of young people in advancing human rights education. With the establishment of the United Nations Youth Office, dedicated to youth affairs, we are encouraged by the increased focus on youth participation and engagement. The resolution acknowledges that youth should be a central focus in the fourth phase of the World Programme, emphasizing their perspectives, experiences, and challenges. That means we have the power to shape the programs and policies that will impact our lives and the lives of future generations.

Ensuring Gender Equality

Equality matters, and that includes gender equality. The resolution rightly highlights the importance of ensuring that women benefit from the World Programme on an equal footing. Gender equality is an integral part of human rights, and it is essential to address the unique challenges faced by young women and girls. By promoting inclusive and gender-sensitive human rights education, the program creates a foundation for building societies that value and uphold the rights of all individuals, regardless of gender.

International Collaboration and Support

Creating change is a team effort, and this resolution recognizes that. It acknowledges the collaborative efforts of United Nations agencies, civil society, and youth organizations in advancing human rights education globally. That means we’re not alone in this journey! We have access to methodological training support, capacity building, and technical assistance to help us play an active role in promoting human rights education at the grassroots level.

In summary, the adoption of the United Nations Resolution on the World Programme for Human Rights Education reaffirms the commitment to promoting and protecting human rights through education. As young people, we view this resolution as an empowering opportunity to advocate for our rights and actively contribute to the implementation of the program. By integrating human rights education into various sectors and ensuring the inclusion of youth perspectives, the World Programme lays a strong foundation for building a future that respects and upholds the rights of all individuals. Through education and collaboration, we can create a future where human rights are respected and protected. So, let’s rise up, step into our roles as global citizens, and make a lasting impact. The power is in our hands!

By Yvette Odoyo 

As part of ISIRIKA’s commitment to peacebuilding, the organization mobilized youth leaders and organizations to establish the Kenya Coalition on Youth, Peace, and Security (KCYPS). The Coalition was established in 2022 and was officially launched during the seventh anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250. The coalition brings together youth peacebuilders and youth-led organizations, aiming to strengthen youth-led efforts and enhance coordination of YPS advocacy to ensure its implementation is mainstreamed across different sectors and stakeholders in Kenya.

Our Goal: The coalition’s primary goal is to ensure that Kenyan youth perspectives are meaningfully integrated into national and local legislative decision-making processes on peace and security. To ensure that local efforts and perspectives are adequately incorporated into the coalition’s activities, the coalition seeks to devolve its work through its membership by having county chapters. This approach ensures that the youth’s voices are heard at the grassroots level and that the challenges and issues they face are brought to the government’s and other stakeholders’ attention.

Our Membership: The KCYPS has also established a working group based on the 5 pillars of engagement, including Participation, Prevention, Partnership, and Disarmament, Demobilization, and reintegration (DDR). The establishment of the pillar working groups is essential to ensuring good pillar engagement and progress in the coalition’s efforts to promote youth peace and security issues. This approach enables the coalition to have a targeted approach to address the various issues affecting the youth, including prevention of conflicts, disarmament of weapons, and ensuring that the youth are involved in the peacebuilding process. This effort is aimed to ensure that youth perspectives are integrated into national and local legislative decision-making processes on peace and security. Through its advocacy efforts, the coalition has sensitized policymakers and other stakeholders on the importance of meaningful youth participation in decision-making processes and highlighted youth’s contributions to promoting peace and security.

The KCYPS’s efforts have demonstrated the importance of involving the youth in decision-making processes on peace and security issues. The coalition’s approach of devolving its work through membership by having advocacy pillar groups and county involvement ensures that the youth’s voices are heard at the grassroots level, and the challenges and issues that they face are brought to the attention of the government and other stakeholders.

However, the coalition still faces several challenges that need to be addressed to achieve its goals fully. For instance, the limited participation of marginalized and vulnerable groups in the coalition’s activities. While the coalition has made efforts to ensure inclusivity, there is still a need to do more to ensure that the voices of all youth, including those from marginalized and vulnerable communities, are heard and their perspectives integrated into its initiatives fully.

Our Engagements So Far: One of the significant events that the KCYPS has been part of is the high-level workshop on Youth Peace and Security hosted jointly by the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Youth Affairs, the Arts and Sports – CS Hon. Ababu Namwamba, EGH, and the Ambassador of Finland to Kenya– Mr Pirkka Tapiola. The workshop was held on 31st March 2023, in light of the recent unrest experienced in Kenya. It was aimed to address youth, peace, and security issues and provide a platform for stakeholders to share their experiences and expertise on this critical topic, as well as the progress made in the National Action Plan (NAP) process for YPS and the challenges that need to be addressed to achieve the goals of the process.

This highlights the commitment of the KCYPS to ensuring the inclusivity of the youth and vulnerable groups in the NAP process. The National Action Plan is expected to provide a framework for addressing youth, peace, and security issues in Kenya and outline specific actions that different stakeholders, including the government, civil society organizations, and the private sector, can take to support youth-led efforts towards sustainable peace.

This commitment was also demonstrated during the roundtable conversation with the Finland Minister of ForeignAffairs, Kenya’s Permanent Secretary for Youth Affairs and the Arts, the Finnish Ambassador to Kenya, and other stakeholders. The roundtable discussion centred around the national YPS implementation process. The coalition members present included organizations such as ISIRIKA Kenya, Kariobangi Social Justice Centre, Tunawiri Africa, Upcoming African Youth Organisation, Kesho Alliance, and other member organizations represented.

Looking to the Future: The coalition has several plans to further strengthen its work and achieve even greater success. One such plan is to create a mentorship program that will pair young people interested in peace and security matters with experienced mentors who can guide and support them in their career development. The coalition also plans to increase its outreach efforts to engage with more young people across Kenya. This will involve creating more partnerships with local organizations and communities to ensure that the coalition’s message reaches as many young people as possible.

Overall, the Kenya Coalition on Youth Peace and Security has made impressive progress since its formation. The coalition’s commitment to promoting youth engagement in peace and security matters is commendable, and its efforts have not gone unnoticed. With more plans in the pipeline, the coalition is poised to achieve even greater success in the coming years.

Thank you!

To join our community and stay updated on our work, please consider filling out our Google form for membership.https://forms.gle/8eEukxoHma4GNXB58

Additionally, if you are interested in joining our coalition and supporting our mission, please reach out to us or follow us on the following platforms:

Email- kenyacoalitiononyps@gmail.com

Instagram- @isirika_ke

Twitter- @YPSinKenya