9 December 2025, Amman, Jordan | Participants engaged in a Peace Circle at the regional Workshop on Youth Participation in Peace and Security in the Middle East and North Africa | Credit: UN Youth Office
Youth voices shaping a new era of peace in the Middle East and North Africa
On 9 December 2025, six simultaneous took place in Amman, Jordan, capturing the essence of what peace means to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Peace Circles are the heart of the UN’s Hear Us. Act Now for a Peaceful World campaign, amplifying the voices of youth in peace-related decision-making processes around the world. They are inclusive dialogues that connect young people to global leadership and civil society, forging inter-generational coalitions of peace-builders.
9 December 2025, Amman, Jordan | Participants engaged in a Peace Circle at the regional Workshop on Youth Participation in Peace and Security in the Middle East and North Africa | Credit: UN Youth Office
Unity and mobilization
The Peace Circles in Amman wrapped up the Regional Workshop on Youth Participation in Peace and Security in the MENA region. The two-day workshop was co-hosted by the UN Youth Office and the , along with the for Africa and Arab States, and funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The discussions offered a powerful example of unity and mobilization, bringing together young people, UN entities, local governments, and organizations from across the region.
The six dialogues focused on a range of issues, including the protection of young peacebuilders, the role of digital technologies in peacebuilding, financing of youth-led peacebuilding, climate security, gender equality and young people’s political participation in the region.
Participants were able to share their own experiences as peacebuilders and discuss opportunities and gaps for their relevant topic. Additionally, they explored what actions could be taken by young people and policymakers to address the gaps identified.
With its wide spectrum of topics, the event reflected on the implementation of the UN’s broader Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Agenda, validating emerging evidence on youth participation in peace and security, and generating regional inputs, stories and recommendations for the upcoming second UN Secretary-General’s independent study on young people’s positive contribution to peace.
9 December 2025, Amman, Jordan | Participants engaged in a Peace Circle at the regional Workshop on Youth Participation in Peace and Security in the Middle East and North Africa | Credit: UN Youth Office
Solutions rooted in local experiences
The workshop and Peace Circles were held on the tenth anniversary of on YPS - a landmark decision that urges UN Member States to increase youth representation in decision-making processes.
Against a backdrop of rising global tensions, it is imperative that youth are given the opportunity to speak. Regardless of whether young people are just starting to shape their own future, or have been actively doing so for years, they are essential drivers of change that will determine the direction of their communities for decades to come.
The Peace Circles in Amman demonstrate that when young people are empowered to share ideas, they offer solutions rooted in local experiences. These contributions will feed directly into regional and global policy discussions, turning solutions into real action.
By centering young people in peacebuilding, Jordan’s Peace Circles have set a precedent for the MENA region and beyond, proving that lasting peace is within reach when it grows from the voices of those who will inherit it.