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Posted: July 29 2006,10:19 by verasilva from -
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Q1 (a) If funds are available, what youth activities related to a culture of peace would you do as an individual?
Answer:
Frankly, there is not much anybody can do as an individual to
effectively promote peace amongst youths even with adequate funds
However, from past and current experiences few people who are inwardly
motivated to champion peace have made significant contribution in the
area of advocacy. But to significantly and sustaintably promote a
culture of peace among youths, and judiciously using donor resources,
one has to operate in well structured, transparent and recognized
groups or organization.
Q1 (b) See above
Q1 © If funds were available, what youth activities related to CoP our organization would like to do?
Answer
(i) In collaboration with appropriate institutions and relevant
stakeholders, CWES would conduct training programmes on counseling,
conflict management skills, policing and Human Rights issues for youths
in selected communities and schools
(ii) After the training
sessions, trainees will be screened and recruited as voluntary
Community Youth Police (CYP) and Pupils Police (PUP) tasked with the
responsibility of counseling youths, resolving conflicts among youths,
passing on information of National Security threats and youth based
crimes to the police linking up with appropriate institutions in
addressing youths social problems and Human Rights abuses on youths in
schools, communities and work places.
(iii) Organizing games eg. football, volleyball and netball matches periodically between the youth wings of political parties
(iv)
Organising periodic sessions with the youth wings of these parties for
a post-mortem on governance and the practice of democracy within and
between political parties.
(v) Establishing a centre for youths
vocational and skills training: which will also serve as a production
institution of goods and services to sustain the programme especially
for drop outs.
(vi) Embarking on a campaign on Community Education on Drug Abuse Resistance (CEDAR) and HIV/AIDS prevention.
(vii)
Conducting an action research on the sustainability of a Culture of
Peace among youths. In this research the youths themselves will have
the opportunity to identify the different types of youths based
conflicts and violence, diagnose their causes and finally come up with
sustainable means of preventing violence and resolving conflicts.
Q1 (d) What non-financial support does our organisation need for CoP activities
Answer
(i) Books and reports on counselling and conflict management
experiences and Human Rights abuses in different parts of the world.
(ii) A mobile film projector and documentary films on
(i) the horrors and consequent social problems of war in different parts of the world
(ii) victims of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS infection
(iii)
Communication equipments that would ensure a constant and rapid flow of
information among youth groups and relevant institutions especially in
situations that require rapid response
(iv) Computers, equipments and tools for vocational and skills training
(v) Three (3) vehicles (minimum 20 seater) and bicycles to reach out to youths in remote areas
Q2 (a) What changes in youth policies the government should make to promote a CoP?
Answer
Recently, our government yielded after several years of pressure to
prepare a National Youth Policy with the full participation of the
youths.
Youths are currently advocating for permanent seats in parliament to represent youth interests
Q2 (b) What CoP youth activities iniatives the UN should use?
(i)
A yearly United Nations funded Games for Youths in conflict and post
conflict countries should be organised and should be climaxed with a
session or peaces conference aimed at finding the way forward to peace
by deliberating on the causes and possible solution for conflicts in
their respective countries
(ii) An international centre or forum
must be established for the sharing of experiences on traditional means
of enhancing peace in different cultures
OPTIONAL QUESTIONS
Q3 Suggests or recommendations for improving youth participation in CoP activities on
Answer (a) UN level
(i) In any United Nations Peace talks, youth must be seen as important stakeholders
(iii) The UN should create a website for information from youths on
(1) the root causes of on-going conflicts
(2) the way forward to a peaceful solution
(3) potential areas of future conflicts in their respective countries.
Q4 What should be done to improve/ensure transparency information flow in promoting the CoP?
Answer To ensure transparency and information flow in promoting the CoP
(i)
Organisations involved in promoting CoP must be properly structured,
recognised and registered with appropriate government institutions.
(ii) The UN office in home countries must recognise their existence and work in promoting CoP.
(iii)
Effective networking through quarterly sessions of reporting of
activities, and experiences by all registered organizations involved in
promoting CoP.
(iv) Billboards, print and electronic media could
help in creating an awareness about existing CoP organizations and
their activities
(v) All registered CoP organizations and the
relevant UN office must participate and endorse CoP activities
organized by any organizations
(vi) A consortium of some sort must be reached defining target or operational areas of each CoP organization
Q5 To ensure the best possible return of a voluntary fund for youth and CoP, and how it should be managed or administered.
Answer
(a) The appropriate UN office in home country for a
particular programme must be aware and must endorse disbursement
of funds for a particular programme
(a) At least two members of
the youths among the target beneficiaries must be signatories to the
account of any programme that is funded.
(b) Representatives
from the UN and other collaborating CoP organizations must participate
or witness programmes that are funded.
© Copies of a
comprehensive financial report of funded activities must be sent to all
CoP organizations and the UN office or donors, signed and certified by
beneficiaries
Q6 See Question 4, Answer (iii); and a radio station, specifically featuring programmes related to youth issues
(a) Which other organization do you know of that works for CoP?
Answer: Other organizations I know that work for CoP are:
(i) Amnesty International (AI), Sierra Leone
(ii) West African Youth Network (WAYN)
(iii) Forum for African Women Educationists (FAWE)
(iv) Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance (LAWCLA)
(v) National Commission for Democracy and Human Rights (NCDHR)
(vi) Youth Action International (YAI)
(vii) National Forum for Human Rights (NFHR)
(viii) Campaign for Good Governance
(ix) Campaign Against Violent Events (CAVE-SL)
(x) Forum of Conscience
All the above organizations operates in Sierra Leone
(b) You can contact all of them. We will also have them informed.
Q8 Name of Organisation: Children and Women Empowerment Society (CWES)
Address:
Room 30
– 31 National Stadium Main Bowl,
Freetown
Sierra Leone
West Africa
Contact Person: Franklyn Hollist
E-mail address: cwes_sl@yahoo.com
Telephone: 00 232 76 681 763
My response to this questionnaire is my organisations opinion.
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