TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .
Special to CPNN from Jerry Bibang
With an information and orientation meeting on March 31, Gabon joined the project Youth as Weavers of Peace that has been developed by the other Central African countries of Cameroon and Chad.
The project team with members of PAYNCOP
The meeting took place in the town hall of the municipality of Oyem, in the province of Woleu-Ntem, in the north of Gabon bordering on Cameroon. It was chaired by the Governor of the province as the project involves the localities of Oyem, Minvoul, Bitam and Meyo – Kye.
The project aims to identify, train and operationalize 250 young people (young men and women 18-35 years old) to become weavers of peace in their respective communities.
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Question related to this article:
Solidarity across national borders, What are some good examples?
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In addition, nearly 60 young leaders of community-based social enterprise projects will be trained and supported in order to launch their initiatives.
This work will be implemented by several organizations including the Pan-African Youth Network for the Culture of Peace (PAYNCOP) and will be coordinated by the United Nations System in Gabon, with UNESCO and UNODC as the lead agencies.
“This project comes at the right time because it gives young people the opportunity to contribute significantly to the prevention of violence and the consolidation of peace in our country. It is in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2250 that recommends States to involve young people as actors in peace and security issues,” explained Jerry Bibang, PAYNCoP Permanent Secretary.
“It will also be a real opportunity that will allow young women and men to embark on income-generating initiatives in order to contribute, even a little, to their economic empowerment and to fight against the youth unemployment that is growing in our country,” he added.
The launching ceremony of the project saw the participation of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations system in Gabon, the Representative of UNESCO, the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), the United Nations Office Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a representative of the government, and several civil society organizations.