BY STAFF REPORTER
Young people have a great responsibility and can play an important role in promoting peace and security; driving change and contributing significantly in creating a better future.
By promoting the culture of tolerance among the communities, strengthening social cohesion and cooperation, the youth can abort matters that can lead to conflicts; and ensure sustainable peace. However, to this effect the young people should be provided with the opportunities that enable them to realize the said results. They should be empowered with the desired knowledge, skills and resources, get the exposure to learn about their history and culture and encouraged to actively participate in the social, economic and political affairs of their countries. If not, they would ended up becoming violent and play a destructive role.
Therefore, cultivating the young people with the required knowledge and skills, instilling the values of the community and sensitizing a sense of patriotism is not only necessary but compulsory to generate a responsible generation that strives to sustain peace and security of the people. Recently, the youth in Dire Dawa Administration expressed their commitment to discharge their responsibility and ensure sustainable peace and development within their surrounding and in the country. They stated this at the platform that was organized by the Administration in relation to job opportunities created for the young people through making linkages with investors. The Administration should strengthen its support and enhance the involvement of the youth in peace and development activities, the participants told ENA.
Bilisa Yasin was one of the participants of the platform. He said that increasing the benefits of the youth in mega projects that are under construction and have already become operational in Dire Dawa, such as modern railway, dry port and free trade zone, is crucial. Mentioning the encouraging activities that the Administration has been executing over the past three years to alleviate the social and unemployment challenges of the youth, Bilisa said that the efforts should be further strengthened to ensure lasting peace within the surrounding area and the country.
“Through organizing ourselves, we are working more than ever before and exerting our energies and knowledge to ensure sustainable peace and development within the country,” said Ebtisam Abdosh, the other participant. It will be possible to respond to the basic demands and queries of the young people when lasting peace is ensured not only in Dire Dawa but also throughout the nation. Thus, we discharge our responsibility by standing for peace. Shaib Tsehaye also said that by joining hands with the youths in other kebeles and security forces, he is contributing what he can to safeguard the peace and the security of the area and advance its development. “We will unite and defend those anti-peace elements that have their own hidden agenda and aspire to make the youth the implementer of their motives,” he added.
Betelhem Adane, is a young woman who said that the government’s efforts to respond to the job opportunity queries of the youth should be and at the same time be strengthened. On the other hand, Habtamu Addis said that the City Administration should follow and take appropriate measures against those greedy businesspeople who are attempting to accumulate wealth through defrauding the people. He also added his readiness to stand by the side of the Administration and support the corrective measures taken against them.
Attending the forum, Dire Dawa Finance and Economic Development Office Head Sultan Aley on his part said that the Administration is working more than ever before to respond to the social and unemployment demands of the young people. As for him, this year, thousands of young people have benefitted from projects that are being implemented in rural and urban areas with a capital of 2.5 billion birr. Concurrently, efforts are underway to respond to the queries through collaborating investors and development partners.
Projects that have significant contributions to accelerate the country’s journey to prosperity are being implemented in the City Administration by investors, the federal government and Dire Dawa Administration. The projects are providing solutions to the needs of the young people, he remarked. He also conveyed his message to the youth to strengthen and sustain their active participation in ensuring sustainable peace and development of their surrounding areas in order to take these encouraging activities to a higher level. In the same development, Harari State Prosperity Party Harari Branch Office Head Abdujebar Muhammed said that the contribution of the youth should be strengthened to promote peace in the State.
In a discussion held with the youth in the State, the Head said that it is necessary to strengthen peace in the region and enhance the unity of the people. Underscoring that Harar is a city where citizens coexist in peace, tolerance and togetherness, Abdujebar said that the people need to play their role in preserving this value. Particularly, he pointed out, it is important for the youth to promote the culture of listening to each other and peaceful dialogue. It is also important to be watchful against anti-peace entities that work to erode the unity of the people and disrupt their peace. The youth should detach themselves from destructive missions that are circulated through social media and stand for peace, he added.
State’s Peace and Security Management Office Head Tilahun Wadera on his part said the youth have been contributing a lot to reinforce peace and security in the State. He also highlighted the role the young people can play in supporting the peace efforts; he urged all to promote peace and development. The youth who attended the discussion also confirmed their readiness to strengthen unity and stand for peace, as usual.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 10 JUNE 2023
