Central youths attend Bougainville Peace Agreement workshop
More than thirty youths have been urged to speak freely, fairly, transparently and without violence on the Bougainville Referendum in a workshop at Arawa on Monday 15 April.
They even did a practical on giving out short awareness about the Bougainville Peace Agreement and the referendum. Many spoke on the referendum and how it is a election that will be conducted on October 12 and that it is a vote the people of Bougainville will take on the two options, 1. Greater Autonomy and 2. Independence.
Organized by The ABG Department of Community Development with funding assistance from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the workshop aims to reach out to the youth population in the very remote areas with information on the Bougainville Referendum.
Youth Coordinator with the Department of Community Development, Stacey Nahi Tarura said that this workshop was about creating safe spaces for opportunities for participation in decision-making within peace building and the Referendum process- as the main theme of the programe is Our Referendum Our Future. This workshop is also about disseminating approved and updated referendum content, awareness skills and confidence building. This was a follow up workshop from last year, 2018, she said.
Janice Wade is a youth representative from the Wakunai District. She is also the Secretary for the Wakunai District Youth Association and has attended the workshop on behalf of the youths at her district.
She said that she has learnt how to gain confidence and wants other youths to take the stand. "There are many youths out there who have the potential to do greater things but are afraid to take the risk. She would like to encourage the girls especially to be brave," she said.
“Come out. Use your talent. Use the challenges you face in life as a stepping stone and keeping moving on,” she said.
Facilitators represented the Bougainville Referendum Commission (BRC), Department of Bougainville Peace Agreement Implementations (DPAI), Parliamentary Service, Directorate of Media and Communications, Department of Community Development and Department of Community Government. This was BRC's first awareness to be conducted at the Central region.
The Presentations were based on the topics;
The Bougainville Audience Survey on level of knowledge of the people about BPA
Back ground of Autonomy
Referendum
Bougainville Referendum Commission (BRC)
Developing key messages
Creating ‘Youth Voices’
Parliamentary Service structure
Community Government structure
Awareness information structure
The workshop ended on Thursday. It started at Buin last week with more than thirty youths from districts around the South region that attended it.
Photo caption: A group taking part in an activity that allowed for the youths to create key messages around the Bougainville Referendum.
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