Youth in Tanzania are demonstrating the vital role young leaders play in paving the way for sustainable peace.
Since Tanzania’s independence in 1961, the education system in Tanzania has undergone multiple transformations based on political and economic changes and now faces a number of challenges in issues related to teen pregnancy, gender inequality, and youth unemployment. In commemoration of the 2020 International Day of Education, Global Peace Foundation (GPF) and partners organized a youth dialogue comprising of teachers and students from a local university and secondary schools, as well as education stakeholders, media personnel, parents, and education analysts to reaffirm education as a fundamental right and to celebrate its empowerment to foster peace.
The head information officer of the United Nations, Ms. Stella Vuzo presenting her opening remark before the dialogue session
The dialogue for the importance of education proceeded through multiple panels that tackled subjects within this year’s international theme: “Learning for People, Planet, Prosperity, and Peace.”
Presentations emphasized how access and quality of education contributes to developing talents, skills, and creative potential to discover innovative solutions to the greatest challenges facing humanity and the environment.
Kelvin Eduard from YUNA spoke at the panel, “Learning for Planet,” on using education to preserve the environment and to develop ways to help reverse unsustainable practices so that people could live in harmony with nature in the future. As our greatest classroom, nature is an imperative priority to protect and respect.
At the panel, “Learning for Prosperity,” Glory from TEDI emphasized that youth should equip themselves with soft skills to prosper in the workforce. She said that the positive results of acquiring these skills will would include enhanced access to work and increased income.
Youth participating in the active dialogue session
For the panel, “Learning for Peace,” Irene Ishengoma from GPF spoke about creating a foundation of peace from contributing to reconciliation, mutual understanding, and social cohesion in the family. She discussed the importance of teaching the children these concepts to develop them as future peacebuilders because our core character is developed from a young age in our own families.
After the panels, the participants, inspired by what they learned from the presenters, freely discussed ways to make education meaningful enough to empower people, preserve the planet, build the prosperity of the youth, and promote peacebuilding.
The original post appears on Global Peace Foundation. Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit organization, which promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God. GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private-sector partners who develop community, national, and regional peace building models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.