Youth voice their concerns to president
IMPASSIONED South African youths are voicing their concerns over peace and security in the country by writing letters directly to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The initiative, organised in collaboration with the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), aims to empower youths and create opportunities for an age group often under-represented in political circles.
So far, organisers have given 200 letters to the president: 100 from the Eastern Cape and 100 from KwaZulu-Natal. Some youths have written collaborative pieces, while others have chosen to write their own. According to IPYG representative Chipo Magombo, President Ramaphosa has been promising to interact with this movement for quite some time. “The initiative is still ongoing, we’re hoping we can get a meeting with the president this week, but we’ll definitely keep pushing these issues (of peace and security) in the future.”
As part of the official handover of the letters, one representative from the Eastern Cape and KZN were chosen. “We want to encourage (the) youth to take responsibility and raise issues that are important to them. That way, the young people can start making big decisions in their own lives.”
Magombo added that the movement mirrors the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) campaign closely.
The IPYG is a worldwide organisation originating from a group of Korean youth activists. For more information, visit http://www.ipyg.kr/index.