In a bid to combat youth crime and violence, students from Jennings Secondary School and Ottos Comprehensive Secondary School, engaged in two days of transformative training aimed at empowering students as agents of peace, at the launch of the Youth for Peace: Peace Education Programme on September 24-25, 2024, at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda.
Organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, this groundbreaking initiative is a timely response to the alarming increase in youth crime and violence in Antigua and Barbuda and throughout the Caribbean region. The heightened gang activity highlights the critical need for intervention among the nation’s youth and underscores the urgency of fostering conflict management at the community level.
We are seeing the consistent increase of violence in Antigua, which we need to urgently address. This training will give you skills for conflict resolution, to prevent the escalation of violence in our country
Andrea AirallMinistry of Education
Throughout the two days, students were equipped with life skills in areas such as conflict resolution, mediation, critical thinking, empathy, and problem-solving. Additionally, they were exposed to various learning activities designed to enhance their capacities to manage conflicts peacefully, both personally and within their communities.
UNESCO Kingston
The skills students have developed during this workshop will not only help them manage conflicts but also enable them to become ambassadors for peace in their schools and communities.
Paula IsturizProgramme Specialist, UNESCO Office for the Caribbean
Students were also exposed to sessions highlighting the root causes of violence, strategies for peaceful communication, and the importance of mutual respect and empathy. They also committed to sharing their newfound knowledge with peers in their schools and communities, with ideas such as creating a Peace Club, and participating in school assemblies.
Violence is never the answer. There are easier and better ways to handle conflict or violence
Implementing the Youth for Peace initiative reflects Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to UNESCO’s Global Citizenship Education (GCED) agenda, which seeks to nurture respect for diversity, mutual understanding, and foster a sense of shared responsibility for creating a more peaceful world. As national authorities have expressed concern over the rising trend of youth involvement in crime, this programme stands as a beacon of hope for fostering a new generation of peacebuilders.
Also also implemented in Jamaica and Saint Lucia, the initiative serves as a vital tool for creating a safer and more harmonious society. Through continued efforts, there can be a future where youth are empowered as leaders of positive change.
UNESCO Kingston
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