PAG 7th International Youth Summer School underway Africa » Gambia [Click to enlarge.] « prev 1 of 2 next » Thursday, August 22, 2013 The Peace Ambassadors-the Gambia (PAG) on Friday began its 7th annual International Youth Summer School (IYSS) at SEN in Bansang, Central River Region on the theme “In the search of peace for Africa’. The international youth summer school on peace is an annual event organized by the Peace Ambassadors – the Gambia. The camp brings together young people in order to empower them with knowledge and skills needed to develop an aptitude for peace building, discuss issues affecting them and map out strategies of resolving them. The PAG is aimed at promoting the culture of peace, tolerance and international friendship geared towards making the world a better place for human survival. The event according to officials has been inspired by the success of the International Youth Summer Camp funded by Concern Universal held in 2004. PAG in partnership with interested organizations and individuals, has over the past years developed the event into a citadel of training on all issues affecting human rights, development, peace and security. Speaking at the opening ceremony, the chairperson of the organizing community Bubacarr Sambou said generally, lack of peace and its effect are not given in depth study and analysis resulting to ignorance and limited collective global action to create a sustainable peaceful environment for humanity. This he said he is a major issue for peace Ambassadors-the Gambia. “The organization focuses on the development of the human mind, indeed experience has shown that organizations like PAG working in the field of peace can be a lever in lifting societies out of their troubled and violent past and help them secure and sustain a future with peace and development are at the centre,” Sambou stated. The chairperson of the organizing community added that the international camp also referred to as international youth summer school was designed for youths to acquire knowledge and skills needed to develop an aptitude for peace building, to discuss issues affecting them and map out strategies of resolving them. Sambou went on to explain that they would have eight days academic lectures, presentations and discussions on ten (10) proposed thematic areas divided into two phases. He said the first phase would cover the following; human rights, peace and conflict management and governance and accountability amongst others. The second phase, he added, would be a three-day conference focusing on all the thematic areas dealt with during the summer school and will be held in Cassamance (Senegal) in a village call Sinjang. Suntu S Keita, assistance superintendent at Bansang Police expressed delight to be associated with aswhat he called an important and worthy course. He noted that the issue of peace building and youth development is an important tool in a nation’s development agenda and as such, should be the concern of all particularly the security outfits responsible for the maintenance of peace and security. He said institutions or organizations involve in peace building are indeed on a noble crusade and worthy of commendation. He thus assured them of their unflinching support and readiness to working with them as genuine partners. Fabakary Kalleh, the executive secretary of PAG, said the organisation is committed to sustaining itself as a vibrant institution of hope and to spur serious dedication in peace work in and beyond the country in order to achieve its mission statement, aims and objectives. Thus “Giving Peace A Chance” remains the motto driving PAG‘s intervention. He noted honesty, courage of convocation, non-violence, dignity, foresight, respect the views, beliefs, religion, culture and traditions of people and partnership with communities and other development partners are the values that dictates there action. Kalley stated that PAG would continue to operate on three major principles and that is; dialogue and understanding, tolerance and forgiveness and freedom and democracy, under the umbrella of justice and equality. He told the gathering that the organization shall operate through a right based programming approach. In refocusing and redirecting its programme, the key intervention areas of the organization shall include (but will not be limited) to; peace building, governance, health, education, agriculture, gender and children and youth empowerment he said. Other speakers include, Yankuba Manjang and Abubacarr Sisawo the executive secretary of National youth council. Author: Fatoumatta K Saidykhan
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 13:47:08 +0000
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