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“Peace generation” to build the new Yemen
A performance by Al-Amal Group of Yemeni marginalized who came among the top ten in the Sea of Talents competition. (YT Photo by Nadia Haddash)
The project, attended by over 200 young men and women, is part of USAID’s Community Livelihood Program (CLP).
The concluding ceremony was attended by several notable guests, including Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the Minister of Youth and Sport, Muammar Al Eryani, USAID officials, Yemeni artists and Prime Minister Mohammed Salem Basindawa.
The project aims to empower 1,150 young men and women to engage in Yemen’s decision-making process. It also encourages Yemeni youth to embrace the culture of dialogue and accept “the other.”
Tawafog Program, the first activity of the Peace Generation Project, was designed to spread the principle of peaceful coexistence. In this program, some 309 young men and women learned national duties and respect for human rights.
The second program, We Build it with Sports (Nabniha Ba Al Riadhah), encouraged interaction among young people.
The third program was divided into two sections, Sea of Talents and Fine Arts (Baher Al Mawaheb). In Sea of Talents (Baher Al Mwaheb), 458 young men and women showed their talents in music, dancing and painting. Ten winners were announced after the final round of the competition.
74 artists - both men and women - participated in the Fine Arts section, which featured drawing and photography. Six talented youth were announced as winners.
“The competition helped me to know creative and excellent artists as well as to know new techniques of art," said Laila Ghaleb, one of the six winners.
Youth called for participation in the upcoming dialogue
For his part, Minister of Youth and Sports Muamer Al-Eryani, called on youth in his speech during the USAID’s ceremony to engage in the upcoming national dialogue, scheduled to take place this year.
He also called on officials of the Peace Generation project to help Yemeni youth discover their potential. USAID’s Technical Director Charles Swagman promised in his speech that the agency would help Yemeni youth in building the new Yemen.
Prime Minister Basindawa attended the ceremony without prior notification and was warmly received.
He delivered an emotional speech, urging youth to continue their peaceful struggle, for the sake of the homeland, to build a new Yemen.
The CLP integrates several dimensions of community development, including irrigation and agriculture, education, health, economy and good governance.
As far as good governance, the project aims at supporting local councils and NGOs to work toward addressing society’s needs. It started June 30, 2010 and will continue until August 11, 2015 with a total budget of USD 124 million.
Mawada Al-Hadi, programs officer at the CLP, said that a number of projects have been completed since 2010. The Peace Generation Project is one of the CLP objectives which concluded last month.
Volunteer initiatives generated by youth groups are one of the main outcomes of the CLP, according to Al-Hadi.
