Youth Ambassadors Train New Intakes

The youth ambassadors of peace on Saturday opened a two-month long training program for their new intakes at the region education office [region one] in Kanifing.
The youth ambassadors of peace are an educational and advocacy organization born on the 17th may 2001, nurtured in the republic of the Gambia. It is currently operating its chapters in the entire administrative region of the country and in some parts of Senegal.
The organization strives ‘’To work through young people, communities and other development partners in achieving and sustaining peace, stability and development in the Gambia and beyond.
 At the opening ceremony while reviewing the YAP recruitment exercise,
Isatou Bittaye said the youth ambassadors of peace is open to all people who attain the age of 13 and are inspired and willing to volunteer irrespective of nationality, sex, class, profession, academic qualification or gender. She said the recruitment process begins with the development of a guideline that outlines the following procedures for one to become a member of YAP.
Membership is by filling a form and the payment of a fee of D500. 00 with two passport size photos.
Attend in house skills development training on life skills for two days. You also have to attend a minimum seven days on art of living in peace.
You are to also attend five modules training for two days each on peace education and non violence, in understanding conflict, human rights and good governance, gender perspective in peace building, and civic education and the role of stakeholders in peace building.
Develop and implement an action plan of at least one peace education activity in one`s community either individually or collective,
Isatou Bittaye said this year’s recruitment process started in may 2010 when registration forms were out and issued to interested persons who filled and paid a registration fee of D500. 00. And after that a faculty [training committee] was constituted and inaugurated in June 2010.
And it was able to hold it first seminar in July where all members were given topics related to peace building and maintenance to research on and present to their colleagues and peer review of each paper was carried out.
 According to her [Isatou] in-house training was held for the recruiting members from 27th -28th November, 2010 at the Abuko Upper Basic School aimed at training them on life skills and give them knowledge about YAP and how it operates she concluded.
The president of YAP Lamin M Sanyang said the training is very vital for the YAP organization, as it is facing series of challenges which could only be overcome by training and constant training for that matter.
 Saying they are preparing for a work that will be so challenging, as it is a field of work where you will be asked so many questions, as it is been articulated by Lord Baden-Powel. ‘’We should take care, In inculcating patriotism in our boys and girls that is patriotism above the narrow sentiment which usually stops at ones country, and thus inspires jealousy and enmity in dealing with others…our patriotism should be of the wider, nobler kind which recognise justice and reasonableness in the claims of others and which lead our country into comradeship with…the other nations worldwide. “For Lamin peace will not come out of a clash of arms but out of justice lived and done by unarmed nations in the face of odds. Like the bees gathering honey from the different flowers, and that the topics of the course will be immensely based on on the beneficiaries as peace educators and advocators.  He also urged those participating to try to corporate with their lecturers.
Jundu Drammeh also a member of YAP urged the youths to maintain peace among them and try to work hard on advocating peace amongst them, saying the YAP organization is the most organised youth association in the country.
 A representative of the ministry of  Youth and Sports Sutay Jawo also thanked the organization for their job well done in promoting peace among the youths of the country and that they should continue doing the same thing for the nations as peace is among the most important  in any development.