By Hafsa Obeng, GNA
Accra, Aug. 13, GNA - The 14th Annual National Youth Conference of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) has opened in Accra, which aims at empowering young people for the African Renaissance.
The conference, on the theme: “The Africa We Want: Agenda 2063,” is to provide young people the platform to share ideas and best practices as well as deliberate on pertinent issues affecting their wellbeing.
Dr Dominic Sam, the UNDP Country Director, said the prosperity of the African Continent depended largely on the potential of the youth, which must be harnessed and developed.
He said the conference theme, adopted in 2013, reflected the desires of the African people to improve on their lot and achieve a transformation where everyone could realise his or her potential without fear, diseases or wants.
“It is not just about the Africa we want, because the Africa we want must also reflect the world we want and desire,” he said.
Mr Sam said at the global level, the United Nations, in 2016, adopted the Sustainable Development Goals with the renewed commitment to creating a more prosperous, peaceful, free, inclusive and sustainable world for both current and future generations, with the basic strategic principle of leaving no one behind.
“Both Agenda 2063 and the SDGs highlight the need for an inclusion and a people centred development, creating added value and direct jobs.”
He said to achieve economic transformation envisaged by both agendas, high premium must be placed on improving regional economic integration, trade infrastructural development, and regional trade.
Achieving these goals would require leveraging stakeholder resources, both domestic and international through partnerships with governments, the private sector, faith based organisations, NGO’s, and the youth.
“Achieving the two goals also require strong government approach, strong leadership from duty bearers, and sustained demand for accountability from citizens,” he added.
Mr Kwame Gyimah Akwafo, the National President, Ghana YMCAs, said the destiny of Africa lay in the hands of the youth, but there was quite a lot to do to ensure they were given the right exposure to pursue the Africa they wanted in the near future.
He noted that the role of the youth was quite challenging and advised them to commit themselves to achieve more wherever they found themselves, and ensure their activities and attitudes depicted the hopes they strongly desired and hoped for.
Mr Kwabena Nketia Adade, the Executive Director, Ghana YMCAs, said the the Association sought to empower young people for the African renaissance by investing in their lives to enhance their body, mind and spirit to make them productive and useful citizens.
GNA
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS