WINDHOEK – The International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), in collaboration with the National Youth Council of Namibia and the Namibia Youth Development Organisation, are spearheading the “We Are One” intergenerational dialogue.
This is in support and recognition of this year’s 38th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit of Heads of State and Government to be held under the theme, “Promoting infrastructure development and youth empowerment for sustainable development”.
The side-event is scheduled to take place next week on Saturday in Windhoek.
Under the theme “We are One”, youth leaders from Southern Africa urgently call on the SADC Heads of State and the SADC Secretariat to engage them on pressing issues pertaining to peace and security in the region.
While SADC leaders enter into deliberations on the theme concerning youth empowerment for sustainable development, the youth are suffering at the scourges of political violence and corruption affecting nations in the region such as Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a press release from IPYG.
“We call on the Heads of State to be held accountable for the role in which the youth must play as agents of change in the maintenance and promotion of peace and security as specified in the African Youth Charter. The youth urge that if the Presidents say no to meeting the young leaders it is the same as saying no to achieving peace and cessation of war in this generation,” said Macarios Shimwandi, IPYG Namibia representative.
IPYG is an international, non-governmental organisation with 111 branches around the globe, of which 40 are in African countries. Through its advocacy division, IPYG is working at grass roots level with civil society organisations and local governments to deal with socio-economic issues relating to violence, conflict and the use of youth as tools for war.
According to the IPYG, its vision is to create a culture of peace amongst the youth of the world, and to inspire them to act as the voice of conscience and reason with the leaders, law makers, and leaders to steer society away from conflict. In addition to this, the organisation is working in collaboration with national governments, research institutions and Inter-Governmental Organizations to advocate for the adoption of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) by all heads of states around the globe.
The DPCW is a new international legal instrument drafted by the International Law Peace Committee (ILPC) of our affiliate organisation HWPL and promotes the aspirations of the Agenda 2063 supporting its vision for a peaceful and gun free Africa.
The founder of IPYG, Chairman Man Hee Lee, a Korean war veteran, will be engaging in meetings on the side-lines of the Summit to promote the important message of global peace which all regions are desperately crying out for. As a global peace advocate, Chairman Lee has travelled the world engaging global leaders on matters of peace and security and sharing the clear answer for peace through the DPCW. As he meets African Leaders on his world tour to Africa, the Southern African heads of state will have a change to share about the pressing issues pertaining to unrest in the region.
“The achievement of cessation of war and world peace is not simply a work of one individual but a common goal for all mankind. There cannot be a President without a nation and its people. Please respond to the cry of the youth and give your support to this noble cause of peace,” emphasised Celine Mpareke, an IPYG Namibia representative.