On September 21st, the world celebrates the International Day of Peace, and this year, PAYNCOP, with the support of the United Nations system, particularly UNESCO and UNOCA, organized a meeting at Omar Bongo University in Libreville, Gabon. The event brought together various stakeholders, including the second vice-president of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESEC), Geoffroy Foumboula Libéka, representatives from UNESCO and UNOCA, ambassadors of peace, young political actors, entrepreneurs, civil society organizations, youth movement representatives, and students from multiple departments.
The meeting's theme was "Participatory Democracy for Governance in Favor of Social Cohesion and Peace: A Factor for Appropriation of the National Growth and Development Plan (PNCD)". The coordinator of PAYNCOP Gabon, Jordan Okana, expressed gratitude to the participants and recalled the United Nations' message for this annual celebration: "Investing in peace, by all, every day". He emphasized that peace is not a situation to be taken for granted but a continuous construction that requires everyone's contribution.
According to Okana, investing in peace goes beyond allocating financial resources to dedicated programs; it also involves education, youth, dialogue, social cohesion, citizenship, social justice, conflict prevention, and environmental preservation. He stressed the importance of investing in women, men, and young people who prioritize dialogue over confrontation, solidarity over exclusion, and responsibility over indifference.
Okana highlighted the need for youth to be more than just beneficiaries of public policies; they should also be actors in their conception, implementation, and evaluation. The event featured three panels on youth participation, focusing on citizen participation, governance, and social cohesion, investment in youth, peace, and social cohesion, and youth, citizen participation, and building a culture of peace in Gabon.
The panels discussed the role of young people in implementing the PNCD, opportunities for financing social initiatives led by young people, and the importance of youth participation in building a culture of peace. The event also included a football tournament for peace, with the slogan "United by sport, committed to peace", scheduled for September 26th.
The International Day of Peace is celebrated annually on September 21st, and this year's event aimed to promote youth participation in building a culture of peace in Gabon. The meeting demonstrated the commitment of PAYNCOP and its partners to empowering young people to contribute to peace and development in the country.
The event concluded with a renewed emphasis on the importance of youth participation in promoting peace and social cohesion in Gabon.
Key points
- Youth participation is crucial in building a culture of peace in Gabon.
- The event highlighted the need for youth to be actors in the conception, implementation, and evaluation of public policies.
- The International Day of Peace is celebrated annually on September 21st.
