Youth must be the champions of sustainable peace in Tanzania’s elections
According to the 2022 National Population and Housing Census, over 60 percent of Tanzanians are under 35 years old. PHOTO | FILE
By Badru Juma Rajabu
As Tanzania prepares for future elections, its greatest hope — and responsibility — lies in the hands of its young people.
According to the 2022 National Population and Housing Census, over 60 percent of Tanzanians are under 35 years old. That makes youth not just the largest voting bloc, but the living heartbeat of the nation’s stability.
Every electoral season tests unity. It is a moment when emotions rise, loyalties harden, and the country’s democratic maturity is put to the test. Yet, amid all this, the Tanzanian youth stand uniquely placed — as peacebuilders, mediators, and defenders of national harmony.
From the UN to the AU: Frameworks that recognise youth power
Global and continental institutions have long recognised that peace cannot be sustained without the inclusion of youth.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 (2015) was the first to formally acknowledge young people’s vital role in preventing conflict and sustaining peace. Later resolutions — 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020) — deepened this call, urging member states to give youth a voice in decision-making and peace processes.
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 and its Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security echo this vision, stressing that Africa’s demographic dividend will only bear fruit if youth are fully empowered.
Similarly, the East African Community (EAC) encourages civic education and regional cooperation to promote peaceful, issue-based politics across its member states.
The UNDP SELECT Project (2023) reinforces this approach, showing that youth participation in elections must go beyond voter turnout — to roles as educators, observers, and advocates for non-violence.
Tanzania’s youth: The custodians of peaceful elections
Tanzania’s history of peace did not happen by accident. It was cultivated — through deliberate civic education, interfaith dialogue, and youth engagement.
Today, young artists, social media influencers, and student networks across the country lead campaigns against hate speech and fake news.
Yet the African Union’s “Youth Perspectives on the New Agenda for Peace” reminds us that in Eastern Africa, mistrust between citizens and institutions, unemployment, and manipulation of young voices remain real risks. At the same time, the report insists that young people are the “backbone of preventive diplomacy” — especially in the digital age, where online spaces can spread peace or fuel division.
For Tanzania, this means equipping young citizens with digital peace literacy — the ability to use online platforms responsibly to promote tolerance and truth during election seasons.
Why youth must lead the peace agenda
1. Demographic power and moral duty: With most voters under 35, the tone of Tanzania’s elections will reflect the behaviour of its youth. Their actions online and offline will decide whether politics divides or unites.
2. Agents of creativity and prevention: UNDP research shows that youth innovate in peacebuilding — using theatre, radio, street art, and social media to inspire non-violence and dialogue.
3. Guardians of intergenerational equity: Today’s youth safeguard the peace that future generations will inherit. Their civic participation is an investment in tomorrow’s stability.
4. Rebuilding trust in institutions: Declining trust in political institutions is a global concern. Youth-led election monitoring and transparency campaigns can rebuild confidence in Tanzania’s democratic system.
Turning vision into action
For peace to endure, Tanzania must translate good intentions into structured policy and practice:
Adopt a National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security, in line with AU and UN frameworks.
Fund youth-led peace networks and civic education programs, particularly in rural districts.
Harness digital media for peace messaging and countering misinformation.
Empower political party youth wings to be centres of ethical leadership and non-violence.
Strengthen regional partnerships with the EAC and AU Youth for Peace initiatives to share experiences and build capacity.
A peaceful legacy, one generation at a time
Peaceful elections are not simply the absence of violence; they are the presence of justice, trust, and participation.
As both the UNDP (2023) and African Union (2024) reports affirm, young people must be included at every stage of the electoral cycle — before, during, and after voting.
Tanzania’s youth are not just witnesses to democracy; they are its architects. By embracing dialogue over division and hope over hostility, they can ensure that every election strengthens — rather than strains — the nation’s unity.
“Sustaining peace begins with the courage of young citizens who choose ballots over bullets, truth over tension, and dialogue over division.”
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References
UNDP (2023): Youth Participation to Sustain Peace during Electoral Processes (SELECT Project).
African Union (2024): African Youth Perspectives on the New Agenda for Peace.
United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018), 2535 (2020).
United Republic of Tanzania (2022): National Population and Housing Census.
East African Community (2023): Youth, Peace and Security Framework.
Badru Juma Rajabu is Deputy Secretary-General, ICGLR Regional Youth Forum
