UN Calls Young African Creatives to Build Peace

The United Nations is inviting young African artists to show how creativity can heal communities and bring people together.

The Create4Peace Youth Online Innovation Challenge, launched by the UN Development Programme, asks young creatives across Africa to submit projects that use art and culture to promote peace, tolerance, and social connection. Applications are open until July 2, 2026.

The competition welcomes all forms of creative expression. Musicians, dancers, poets, and filmmakers can apply. So can game designers, digital artists, photographers, and fashion entrepreneurs. Even traditional crafts like weaving, ceramics, and woodworking qualify, as long as projects can be shared online.

Three winners will travel to Cameroon in September 2026 to present their work at the Culture and Creative Industries Forum. The UN will cover their flights and expenses during the event.

But the real prize goes beyond the trip. Selected participants will meet other creatives from across Africa and the diaspora. They'll connect with business leaders who might invest in their projects or help them grow. They'll gain visibility for work that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The Ripple Effect

This challenge recognizes something powerful: Africa's creative industries are already strengthening communities and changing conversations about peace. By supporting young artists, the UN is investing in homegrown solutions to division and conflict.

The program focuses on projects that demonstrate real community impact. The UN wants to see work that bridges social divides, encourages dialogue, and empowers youth to become agents of change. Projects should show innovation, cultural inclusion, and accessibility through digital platforms.

Young creatives from both the continent and the African diaspora can participate. The initiative encourages collaboration across borders, helping artists build networks that can sustain their work long after the competition ends.

The Create4Peace challenge reflects a simple truth: culture and creativity can do what speeches and policies sometimes cannot. They can help people see each other differently, start difficult conversations, and imagine shared futures.

For young Africans already using their talents to unite communities, this is a chance to be seen, supported, and celebrated for work that matters.