UNYA swears in seven Goodwill, Peace Ambassadors

Seven individuals were on Saturday, 29 August, 2020 sworn in as Goodwill and Peace Ambassadors for the United Nations Youth Association of Ghana.

The new ambassadors including one Goodwill Ambassador, four Peace Ambassadors and two Women Commissioners took separate oaths administered by the Head of Legal Team for the United Nations Youth Association, Victor Opeku, Esq, at the Global Prayer Palace at East Legon in Accra to become role models for the youth of the country.

The seven include, Bishop Michael N. A. Mensah who was sworn in as a Goodwill Ambassador, Mr. Idrees Arimiyaa, Dr. Sheikh Abubakar M. Thiam, Mrs. Sandra Asamoah and Rev. Collins Adu-Ntim, all sworn in as Peace Ambassadors and the two Women Commissioners, Harriet Anita Araba Abaidoo and Rina Yakuel Kerzner sworn in as Women Commissioner And Deputy Women Commissioner respectively.

The individuals were sworn in to pursue the United Nations’ agenda to protect the community and maintain security, peace and order by involving the youth to eschew violence to minimize any form of destruction in the community.

Country Head of the United Nations Youth Association Ghana, Her Excellency, Lilian Sally Addo said the association took into consideration the vision of the individuals for the welfare of the youth in the appointing the respective ambassadors to play the various ambassadorial roles.

According to her, the ambassadors are people who have the youth at heart and are ready to help them by leading a campaign to gather young people to change their lives.

They are also expected to lead the association’s nationwide tour on a peace campaign in line with the United Nations’ Security Council resolution on involvement of the youth in the taking of key decisions.

“Our new Peace Ambassadors will lead us to tour the whole country to educate the young people on the importance of ensuring that this country remains peaceful and this is one of our main goals which is to push the United Nation’s Security Council Resolution 2250 which talks about the inclusion of the youth in the decision making process and also pushing the peace and security of this country,” Miss Sally explained.

Though many other organizations are championing similar agendas, Miss Lilian Sally Addo said what makes these roles unique is that projects undertaken by the UNYA Ambassadors are beneficial to every country.

The women commissioners are also expected to mobilize, encourage and empower young women who are encountered with different challenges.

The Goodwill Ambassador, Bishop Michael N.M. Mensah who heads the Global Prayer Palace in an interview said involving the youth remains imperative in securing the future of any nation.

Bishop Mensah, himself a youth said he’ll leverage on the large youth composition of his church to influence them to ensure peace and security at all times, especially in the run up to Ghana’s 2020 elections.

“Don’t forget that we are approaching the elections and most at times people are using the youth for violence so we also have to come out and let them know that ‘hey’, we don’t need to go for violence,” he said adding that most people who call for violence put the youth in harm’s way while protecting their own family back home.

“We want everyone to understand that ‘hey’, your life is in your hands, you don’t know tomorrow, wait, don’t fight, don’t kill yourselves for anybody to attain power, maintain your peace for the next generation,” said the Bishop.

He identified the lack of jobs, lack of self-confidence, stigmatization, poverty, lack of educational opportunities among others as driving factors for the youth to embark on violent activities and said addressing these should form the basis for getting the youth off violent activities.

“Let’s come together as one family and provide security for the next generation,” he added.

Saturday’s swearing in brings to four the number of goodwill ambassadors and to four the number of Peace Ambassadors sworn in so far.

Present at the ceremony were members of the United Nations Youth Association, traditional authorities and some members of the general public.