The
Gambia and Finnish YMCA, yesterday held a conference on Youth, Peace and
Security, under the theme: Active Youth Participation in Peace and Security in
The Gambia.
The
day-long conference was part of YMCA’s fourth year “Work 4 Peace” project,
under its youth, peace and security issues and irregular migration component
that focus on re-integration and prevention.
Speaking
at the event, Assan Jallow, representative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports
said youth have been and continue to play significant role towards reforming
national institutions, with a view to restore democratic governance and the
respect for the rule of law.
He
said Gambia government has ensured that youth are included in all the on-going
transitional justice processes in recognition of their potential in the maintenance
of peace and security in the country.
Mr.
Jallow said more than 60 percent of Gambia’s population is young people who
bear some of the most difficult burdens of the country’s political transition,
in numerous ways.
Minister
of Fisheries and Water Resources, James Gomez said youth are important in a
country because they have strong values of tolerance and social cohesion. “They
aspire to a life of dignity for all.”
He
said youth hold enormous potential for change and positive action and they are
unique resources that can develop innovative solutions for peace and
development. “Through universal access to information and communication
technologies, young people are often major drivers of political changes,” he
said.
Priscilla
H.D. Dunn, programme director of The Gambia YMCA, said the objectives of the
conference was to promote youth participation and engagement by creating space
for them where they can be recognized and provided with adequate support to
implement violence prevention activities.
She
said YMCA peace ambassadors will advocate peace and security issues within
vulnerable youth communities in target areas, focusing especially on
re-integration and prevention.
“Concerning
reintegration and prevention of irregular migration, the YMCA youth, peace and
security conference is tasking its participants to come up with ways in which
they can prevent the marginalization of youth,” she said.
