Young Cities is the youth pillar of the Strong Cities Network. It is a global programme designed to enhance youth leadership at a city level in addressing hate, extremism and polarisation. It provides young people with the training, tools, support and resources to solve challenges facing youth in their communities and make them safer and more accessible. It also works with local policy makers to ensure that their youth engagement strategies protect young residents from the harms of extremism while treating them as partners and future leaders.

Young Cities provides:

• Bespoke training for young peace-builders in strategic project development and management
• Small grants to fund youth-led initiatives and programmes
• Sustained support to enable learning-by-doing as young people build the necessary knowledge, skills and networks to professionalise their peacebuilding activities and connect with the city’s ecosystem of relevant stakeholders
• Bespoke training and support for local government to enhance their approach to youth engagement and empowerment
• Opportunities for young people and local government to explore youth priorities and pursue shared solutions to the challenges facing young people in their city

Since launching in 2018, Young Cities has worked in 18 cities across Kenya, Lebanon, Jordan, Pakistan, Belgium, Australia, North Macedonia and Senegal. It has supported 473 young peace-builders and 100 local government officials. With £455,483.62 in small grants, Young Cities has supported 108 youth-led social change projects and 11 city-led youth engagement projects that have engaged tens of thousands of young people and reached millions more.