Graça Machel condemns exclusion of young people and women

Maputo, 19 Sep (AIM) – The Mozambican human rights activist, and former First Lady, Graça Machel has condemned the exclusion of young people and women from peace processes, which inhibits these segments of the population from expressing their views.

She expressed this concern on Monday, in Maputo, during the 2nd High Level National Conference on “Peace, Security, Reconciliation and Development” in Mozambique, an event organised by the Organisation for the Promotion of Peace and Humanitarian Development (ORPHAD).

Graça Machel told the audience that Mozambique is an international reference point in peace matters but its foundations, which are young people and women, are fragmented.

“From a constitutional point of view, Mozambique is a good model and that is why we are hailed internationally and called a model country in peace building. They recognise that in this building of ours the architecture is perfect, because we have the laws, we have signed all the conventions, protocols, everything is in order, but the foundations of the house are fragmented”, she said.

“If we look at the debates, and even the agreements that we have been signing, we have never had the voice of women in these processes, we have never had the voice of young people”, she noted.

Graça Machel, who is also patron of the prominent NGO, the Community Development Foundation (FDC), stressed that peace, stability and social cohesion form a process that requires the participation of all sectors of society, including women, young people, and people with disabilities.

For his part, former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano called for “effective social cohesion” in the country to avoid young people being recruited into the ranks of terrorist groups in northern Mozambique, considering that the country is facing a “hidden enemy”.

“We need effective social cohesion so that our young people and community members are not recruited to the terrorist cause”, he said.
(AIM)
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