Youth Organisations join hands to foster peace, tackle societal ills
Rob Youth Foundation (RYF) has joined with the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) to promote basic youth tenets including peace among the youth in Namibia and beyond its borders. IPYG is a non-profit, non-government organisation which believes young people can bring peaceful change in the world.
The Foundation is premised on similar principles that are geared at youth empowerment, sensitisation and health awareness to name a few.
RYF Founder Robert Maseka said it is important to work together in various community activities that include, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and unemployment. “I believe this collaboration will help us engage effectively and efficiently with our youth in the country as we try and mould the future from a grass-roots level. Similarly important is making a mark on the global stage by setting a sterling example in Namibia, which can then be used as a standard to which others are held accountable,” added Maseka.
IPYG Namibian Representative, Michael Hamutenya said they have been promoting peace activities in the country since 2018, and are excited to work with the RYF to further the course of promoting peace in the country. “To the end, we will be conduction an educational training program that is availed worldwide under our ‘Youth Empowerment Peace Classroom (YEPC)’,” added Hamutenya.
YEPC was created for the youth suffering from a lack of education. It provides essential education focused on health, hygiene, family, parental roles, global citizenship and more. Over 1 000 youth from 62 countries participated in the program last year alone.
The programme will run from 18 June to 30 August with lessons occurring bi-weekly and certificates of completion being awarded.
Hamutenya said they anticipate the impact this course will have on the ultimate goal of achieving a world of peace a day sooner. “YEPC discovers potential youth leaders in the community and allows, anyone to have the right and opportunity to learn, just as the UN’s SDG goal of ‘leave no one behind’, and also helps achieve SDG’s fourth goal of ‘inclusive and equitable quality education for all,’” emphasised Hamutenya.
Heavenly Culture World Peace Restoration of Light (HWPL) Namibia Public Relations Representative, Aina Shiimi reiterated the need for the two organisations to create more awareness of peace in Namibia. “I believe we will one day have a Namibian representative during the international Peace events to showcase the work of peace-related work being done in Namibia and I am looking forward to witnessing the remarkable work that I am sure both of these organisations will do together,” she added.
RYF Public Relations Officer Tracy Livingi said it is vital for the International Peace Youth Group to join them especially when they go out to schools and communities to engage the youth on issues such as parental involvement in their children, mental health and child abuse.
