[HWPL]

[HWPL] HWPL's Peace Education is Needed for Africa!

HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light; Chairman Man-Hee Lee) has been running numerous peace initiatives and events with its affiliated organizations in the world.

Youth Pillars Initiative South Sudan is one such Peace NGO that is striving for peace in its country and around the world. It operates peace education programs for the youth including farming and peace education in South Sudan.

Mr. Emmanuel Anur Towongo, founder and executive director of Youth Pillars Initiative South Sudan, experienced Independence in 2011 and the civil war from 2013. He saw many people, especially youth, who were victimized and killed because of politics and factions. He also had to survive through the war.

He says that formal education through schools, libraries and educational facilities are key to resolving the conflict in South Sudan. South Sudanese youth became extremely vulnerable and were easily manipulated by the elites as tools to make critical decisions without thinking through their actions. Actually, the majority of frontline fighters in the war were young and uneducated.

He added that, in spite of the destruction on educational facilities, the peace education program by IPYG (International Peace Youth Group, an HWPL affiliate) is making a significant impact on youth who are studying at schools in the bushes.

In particular, IPYG's broad network is proving to be of great support to Mr. Towongo. Recently, IPYG hosted their Youth Empowerment Peace Workshop online and created a space for discussion for world peace with leaders of youth organizations. They identified challenges that they had to break through within their respective country.

In the future, Mr. Towongo hopes to create an inter-school peace debate program and platform for young people so they can learn to talk to others peacefully and constructively. He asserts that communication is a very powerful factor that helps to stop conflicts within families and communities. Moreover, an healthy debate and discussion gives an opportunity for young people to acquire leadership skills.

Even though many countries in Africa are in the middle of cruel conflicts, its future is very bright because of the efforts for peace by HWPL and many African leaders.

Peace!