Youth Peace Forum 2026 enters second day

THE Youth Peace Forum 2026 continued into its second day at the Jade Hall of the Myanmar International Convention Cen­tre I in Nay Pyi Taw.

The Youth Peace Forum 2026 ceremony was attended by member of the State Securi­ty and Peace Commission and Chairman of the National Soli­darity and Peacemaking Negoti­ation Committee (NSPNC) Un­ion Minister Lt-Gen Yar Pyae, Union Minister for Information U Maung Maung Ohn Secretary of the NSPNC Lt-Gen Min Na­ing, members of the Negotiation Committee, Ministers for Social Affairs from regions and states, representatives from ministries, experts and professionals from various fields, youth represent­atives from various strata of the regions and states, youth repre­sentatives from ethnic armed organizations that have signed the NCA, youth representatives from diverse ethnic cultural and religious backgrounds, ethnic youth from border areas, and other invited youth represent­atives and observers.

At the forum, young ex­perts led discussions on topics such as identifying recovery and reconstruction strategies for those affected by conflict; engaging youth in efforts to reduce and prevent conflicts; youth perspectives on modern and progressive politics; foster­ing a patriotic union spirit; link­ing social, educational, cultural, and sports priorities relevant to today’s youth with the peace process; promoting employment opportunities and peace; na­tion-building; creating regional economic and job opportunities; youth entrepreneurship and technology initiatives; support­ing youth business start-ups; youth health, psychological sup­port, and drug control; the im­pact of information technology (IT); the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) in promoting peace, nation-building, and so­cial harmony; and issues relat­ed to cyber and online security, social media, and networking.

The youth were gathered in groups to discuss designated topics, and NSPNC Chairman Union Minister Lt-Gen Yar Pyae, along with Union Minis­ter for Information U Maung Maung Ohn, visited the groups and offered words of encour­agement.

Afterwards, the youth representatives attending the Youth Peace Forum 2026 divided into four groups to discuss and propose solutions on the follow­ing topics: cessation of armed conflicts; youth participation in nation-building; rehabilitation and reconstruction; promo­tion of social, educational, and cultural development; coexist­ence of various ethnic groups; cultural exchange and sports; economic and employment op­portunities; entrepreneurship and a technology-based econo­my; youth health, psychological support, and combating drug abuse; impacts of information technology (IT); establishment of artificial intelligence (AI) sys­tems; cyber and online security, social media, and networking groups; and effective dissemi­nation of news and information.

In the afternoon, the group discussions were summarized and presented, and experts pro­vided feedback on the findings. The participants also engage in a short quiz competition, a peace-related drawing contest, and a cybersecurity quiz com­petition, awarding prizes to the winners. Additionally, they pre­pared group-based work plans for networking. The Youth Peace Forum 2026 will continue on 15 January, focusing on the im­portance of youth participation in promoting peace and social stability, creating employment opportunities for youth, defining the practical role of youth in the post-election period, and for­mulating a plan for sustainable peace, national unity, and social development. — MNA/TH