Liberia: YAI Country Representative Returns From Senegal
Informer Newspaper, 15 April:
The Country Representative of Youth Action International (YAI) Martina Marshall has returned from a weeklong capacity-building workshop held in Dakar, Senegal, for civil society organizations. The workshop brought together a number of participants from all over West Africa.
The intent of the workshop was to bring together members of civil society organizations in West Africa to discuss and analyze global trends and standards of election management, and democratic principles, practices and processes in West Africa. Additionally, the event covered the topic of building professional networks amongst civil society organizations in West Africa while enhancing leadership and competition in the region.Held by an international institution called BRIDGE-Project (Building Resources In Democracy, Governance and Election), the training was co-hosted by the Goree Institute in collaboration with non-governmental and governmental organizations.The workshop was interactive for participants, who were divided into groups for discussion and presentation on what they had learned. YAI’s Country Rep reflected on the trip as being “a good learning experience.” She was also full of praises for the organizers and took the time to express her gratitude to them.Speaking further Madam Marshall, “When you mix different people, you broaden your horizons and learn new ways of governing yourself no matter your position and status. I hope civil society organizations throughout West Africa begin to work collaboratively to broaden the horizons of people in their countries and empower them to effectively engage in the democratic process.”YAI was founded by child’s rights activist, Kimmie L. Weeks, in 2002. YAI programs are strategically developed to break the cycles of violence and poverty and to help alleviate the suffering of children affected by war.