By: Nyima Sillah
The United Nations Develop Program in collaboration with the National Youth Council (NYC) and partners on Friday commemorated International Youth Day.
The ceremony was held in Kanifing with the theme “Intergenerational solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages.”
Speaking at the event, the NYC Chairman, Ousman Fatty, said that there is no denying the fact that the youth are faced with so many issues, particularly in this modern world and the key among these issues are irregular migration, drug abuses, and unemployment.
In his part, Thomas Kimaru, the United Nations Representative in The Gambia revealed that they must foster successful and equitable intergenerational relations and collaboration to ensure that no one is left behind and that they need people of all ages, young and old alike, to join forces to build a better world for all.
“In a society where young people are ignored in decision-making processes or where older generations are denied a chance to be heard, we all lose. We must be inclusive and promote intergenerational discourse at all times,” he said.
Meanwhile, the representative of the Ministry of Youth, Abass Bah, highlighted the significance of the day which was meant to bring youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrate the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society.
Mr Bah noted that the purpose of this year’s team was to amplify the message that action is needed for all generations to achieve the agenda 2030 and its SDGs and leave no one behind.
“The world today needs our collective endeavor to make sure we have a better world for all. It is no more the youth against the elders, it’s about working together, the youth and the older generation to make sure that we achieve the agenda 2030,” he noted.
He disclosed that the Gambia has a young population with more than 60% of its population under the age of 35%, which he said that there cannot be meaningfuldevelopment without the involvement of this energetic population.
