They tell leaders to let peace begin in themselves and their families
The GNRC Youth Peace Clubs from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar have petitioned political leaders, government officials in and the international community to ensure that the forthcoming elections in will be peaceful. Over fifty representatives from the Peace Clubs in , established by the children and youth under the aegis of the GNRC’s Education for Peace Programme, converged in Zanzibar for a four-day Peace Camp during the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF). During the Peace Camp, the GNRC children and youth were joined by others to participate in a ‘March for Peace’ which started and ended at the Peace Museum in the historical Stone Town . They were received by the Zanzibar Regional Commissioner Mr. Abdalla Mwinyi.
GNRC Peace Clubs during the Peace Camp whose theme was “Peace Starts With Me’, discussed proposals on how peace will be strengthened in and Africa at large. The Peace Club leaders proposed that each of the Peace Camp participant should go back and talk to their colleagues in the Peace Clubs to spread the word of peace to all. After lengthy discussions about what they perceived may break the peace and what they should do when the peace is broken, the children and youth resolved to ensure that they will approach their peers and ask them not to involve in activities that could jeopardize peace.
During the Peace Camp, the Peace Club leaders were introduced to children’s rights and responsibilities, ethics and peace building, where they were given a chance to ask questions on the issues touching on the Convention of the Rights of the Child. The participatory discussions covered the pillars of the Children’s Rights and responsibilities, including; “the right to life; to develop to the fullest; protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation; and to participate fully in family, cultural and social life”. The workshop closed with a commitment from the youth that they would take the information and knowledge that they learned over the course of the workshop and share with their own peace clubs and communities helping to instill a culture of peace.
