Dear Editor – Following on Prime Minister Sogavare’s recent call on the United Nations Peace Building Commission (NPBC) to support local collaborative efforts to stabilize peace initiatives in the country, the first UN Peacebuilding Project supported training in peacebuilding and economic livelihood was launched on Monday with 20 youths from communities in North Malaita and Weathercoast
It is proposed that through a partnership agreement signed between the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Coconut Technology Centre (CTC) up to 200 youths will benefit from such training over the next six months.
The training will be led by CTC and will introduce young people in these selected communities to peacebuilding concepts and techniques to be peace advocates in their communities.
At the opening of the training, Agus Wandi, the Project Manager of the UN Peacebuilding Project, reiterated the importance of investing in youths in the Solomon Islands.
He emphasized that sustainable peace requires active and strong participation of young people as peace advocates because they can be a crucial asset to peacebuilding in this country.
The UNDP is committed to supporting youth in Solomon Islands through their enhanced engagement in the peacebuilding process during the critical transitional period for the country.
The PM is thanked for cementing the UNDP relationship and, likewise, the UNDP is praised for assisting the youth and the Solomon Islands in such a worthy and positive way.
Frank Short
Bangkok, Thailand
