4-H Zimbabwe shortlisted for the World Justice Cha...

4-H Zimbabwe shortlisted for the World Justice Challenge

Audrey Galawu

ASSISTANT EDITOR

4-H Zimbabwe Foundation has been shortlisted for The World Justice Challenge, a global competition and programme of supporting activities to identify, recognise and promote good practices and high-impact initiatives that protect and advance rule of law.

The foundation has been recognised for its work in enhancing meaningful youth participation in national development, peace building and political processes in Zimbabwe.

The organisation was selected from a pool of 424 submissions from 109 countries, these exemplary projects were chosen for their potential for replication and their demonstrated impact in advancing the rule of law by World Just Project through its World Justice Challenge.

The Challenge compiles an evidence base for successful rule of law approaches, raises their strategic visibility and strengthens an emerging network of rule of law champions.

It invites submissions for initiatives that address critical rule of law challenges around the world in particular thematic categories.

For the 2024 competition, the theme is “The Rule of Law: Foundation of Democracy”, focusing on effective strategies for strengthening the rule of law to reverse autocracy and rebuild trust in democratic governance.

In the final stretch of the final competition, finalists will be invited to showcase their projects this summer at the 2024 American Bar Association Annual Meeting in Chicago in August 2024.

Five winning projects will each receive a cash prize and opportunities to network and build their global profile throughout the year.

Through dialogue and joint activities such as sport4peace tournaments, 4-H Zimbabwe Foundation project facilitated unprecedented cooperation among 11 political parties.

This collaboration resulted in the signing of the groundbreaking Youth Peace Pledge and the Zimbabwe Youth in Politics Charter on Peace in Electoral Processes, which created a youth engagement platform, the Youth Council for Peace and Development.

In addition, the project successfully brought together rival student unions (ZICOSU and ZINASU) through the National Students Council to increase awareness and understanding of democratic values, conflict resolution and peacebuilding strategies among students in Zimbabwe.

This engagement has contributed to a more peaceful and tolerant environment within university campuses and beyond.

4-H Zimbabwe programmes manager, Didmus Dewa said the selection is significant in that it pitches the organisation’s work and impact at a global level.

“We would like to appreciate the support and cooperation we have been receiving and still receiving from the political parties in Zimbabwe. We appreciate the improvement in the level of tolerance being shown by our political parties in our country.

“Secondary, we also appreciate the support we have been receiving from our key strategic partners such as National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, Zimbabwe Republic Police and traditional chiefs in ensuring successes in our programming.

“Also, our funding partners who made these programmes possible. The recognition by this international organisation shows that 4-H Zimbabwe has made strides in development work around youth democratic participation, peace and development.

“This comes at the background of our African Union recognition in 2023 for advancing youth peace and security agenda in the region.

“We look forward to this event and many more as we seek innovative catalytic and high impact interventions to local, national and global challenges,” he said.

Dewa further said the shortlisting of the foundation on this global World Justice Project is a testament to the footprints of the organisation’s in its Peace and Governance interventions.

The foundation revealed that they plan to conduct capacity-building programmes for the Youth Council for Peace and Development at national and provincial levels.

The organisation will “utilise the Council and Parliamentary Youth Quota structures to facilitate continuous youth engagement on peacebuilding, inclusion in national development and political processes, particularly by establishing a Council for the Harare, Bulawayo Metropolitan areas and the other eight provinces in the country.