Assembly/AU/6(XVI) Page 11 (iii) Leadership 40. As part of the YoPS programme of activities, many persons in leadership positions on the continent made tremendous efforts to advocate for peace in Africa. The Commission engaged models and role models, sportsmen and women, the young and the elderly, musicians, artists, authors and spiritual leaders to inspire and mobilize Africans to make peace happen. The Peace Caravan, which crossed, by land, about 10 countries to spread messages of peace in African remote towns and villages, is another testimony to the role of the youth in building peace. Clearly, the successes recorded are the result of individual involvement at all levels. Leaders in all communities played a key role in mobilizing popular and institutional support for peace. It is, therefore, critical that all concerned remain engaged to make peace a reality on the entire continent. VI. THE WAY FORWARD 41. The Make Peace Happen Campaign is a success. A momentum has been built across the continent around the issue of peace. Africans and non Africans active on the continent bought into the Campaign, thus creating a continental movement to Make Peace Happen in Africa. The continent has genuinely expressed support to the renewed commitment of its leadership to deal once and for all with the scourge of conflict in Africa through various means, including offers of support to the Campaign, individual initiatives and, above all, the observance of Peace Day as directed by the Assembly of the Union. That most Member States and governmental and non-governmental organizations took ownership of the “Make Peace Happen” message, by mainstreaming it in their speeches and addresses, displaying it in their own communications material and in the venues of their gatherings, speaks to the fact that the Campaign was taken seriously. Expectations are high that these efforts will be sustained until such a time that peace becomes a reality on the entire continent. There is also hope that the increased investment of the AU in peace building efforts will yield dividends in the near future, and people stand ready to partner with the AU to reach that goal. The Make Peace Happen Campaign must continue; it must be intensified. 42. The recommendations submitted below constitute the core elements of a longterm campaign strategy. While the objectives of the Make Peace Happen Campaign remains the same, the strategy has been refined to focus around the following elements: the institutionalization of Peace Day, communication, partnerships with stakeholders, resource mobilization within the continent, support to peace-building activities undertaken in Africa, enhancement of the capacity of African academic institutions, and peace education. (i) Peace Day 43. As envisaged since the beginning of the Campaign, Peace Day has provided a single rallying point for Africa to show that peace is attainable in Africa and that peace saves lives. The celebration of Peace Day has also helped to strengthen the argument for why peace is critical and what its benefits can be. The aim of this activity is to put peace in practice, through a collective cooperative moment of unity, to demystify peace-