Kampala, Uganda – Youth Action International staff in Uganda participated in the just ended Afro-Arab Youth Conference which took place in Kampala, Uganda. Under the conference theme “youth in partnership for peace and development” the youth re-echoed the need to consolidate partnerships and unity between
Africa and the Arab world in order to achieve perpetual peace and development. The ten-day event was attended by about 2,000 youth delegates from Africa and the Arab world who discussed issues ranging from HIV/AIDS, poverty, hunger, poor health to illiteracy, unemployment, gender inequalities and wars. The conference was officially opened by Ugandan Present Yoweri Museveni and officially closed by the Libyan President Muammar Ghadafi.
In her presentation under the topic “Young people and the challenges of the 3rd millennium goals for development,” Youth Action International’s Regional Director, Memory Bandera presented alongside the Sudan Minister of Children.
Bandera gave a brief synopsis on the status quo for the realization of development goals in the 3rd millennium in relation to youth in
Africa and Arab states. The message she
emphasized during her presentation was that “young people are key actors and the driving force for positive social change and that their visions and contributions should therefore be central at all levels and in all efforts related to achieving the MDGs.” She mentioned that it is evident that youth are core stakeholders, beneficiaries of, and instruments for the achievement of the MDGs. Bandera asserted that, “youth of today are the ones who are going to live either the failure or the success of the MDGs by the year 2015” and they ought to be at the forefront of the fighters for successful MDGs. In closing she challenged the youth to take pro-active roles in making sure their voices are heard by quoting the Afrikaans saying “Do not follow the path. Go where there is no path to begin the trail.”
Apart from presentations by various experts, the conference also provided other activities such as sports, recreational trips, voluntary HIV testing and counseling, an exhibition, and entertainment nights showcasing various countries’ cultures. Youth Action International exhibited products from one of their grantees, Mengo Youth Development Link.
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on Thursday, April 10th, 2008 at 11:31 am and is filed under News.
