National Youth Camp for Peace 2004 launched

Accra, Aug. 4, GNA - National Youth Camp for Peace 2004 was on Wednesday launched with the aim of investing in young people towards peace and peaceful co-existence.

The camp scheduled for Ho from August 29 to September 5 follows the success of a similar camp organized by the Ministry of Education Youth and Sports and the National Youth Council last year.

Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Minister of State in Charge of Education Youth and Sport, who launched the Youth Camp, said it would sensitise participants and people on democratic values and culture.

The camp under the theme: "Peace and Stability in Ghana: The Role of the Youth in Consolidating Democracy" would bring together about 600 youth of various social, cultural, ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds.

They include 180 out of school youth and students from the Volta Region. The various Regional Directors of Education and Regional Coordinators of the National Youth Council would select the participants from the other regions.

Other participants would include Youth Chiefs from Dagbon Traditional Area in the Northern Region and other Youth Chiefs from other parts of the country.

Mr Bawa said the camp would inculcate in participants the skills of non-violent conflict resolution and management and give messages that would promote peaceful co-existence.

"It will also address topical national issues such as HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria and improve youth advocacy in peace initiatives."

The Minister said the Government was determined to convert knowledge into wealth by equipping the youth with technological and scientific knowledge as well as vocational, technical and entrepreneurial skills.

He mentioned conflict and violence as the causes of poverty and called for early awareness of such behaviour among the youth. Mr Bawa appealed to financial institutions, groups and individuals to support the camp either in cash or in kind to make it a success. Mr Andrew Awuni, Deputy Minister of Information, who chaired the function, said such youth camps had great potentials to lift up the country economically and socially.

He called for the sustenance of the programme to enable the youth to share their cultural values

Mr Awuni commended the Ministry and the National Youth Council for instituting the National Youth Camp programme.