CDCB had been implementing a project entitled “Engaging youth as peace actors in Oromia” with support from USID/OTI in Shashamanne, Arsi Negelle and Batu town administrations since December 2020. The objective of the project as the title explains is to promote peace using youth power in their own town. Accordingly, volunteer youth catalysts were recruited, trained and deployed for the lasty three months in the three towns. The intent was to capacitate volunteer youth through training so that they would promote peace in their towns using different strategies like peace activism by organizing youth networks on telegram platform, identify and implement innovative projects which could be used as a tool of promoting peace within community. Consequently, the deployed youth catalysts had performed remarkable jobs by using limited financial, technical and capacity building supports from CDCB.

In line to this, CDCB has arranged community visits to review the community projects that Batu town volunteer youth Catalysts had implemented in a team organized from local officials, community representatives, USAID focal person and CDCB team. The volunteers had renovated the abandoned youth recreation center which is used by youth and residents of the town as place of recreation and a center of receiving peace messages.