Leaders of Youth from five regions of Rwanda meet in Kigali to share programme experiences

30 September, 2012 – Kigali, Rwanda: Continuing to boost the quality and effectiveness of its programmes, Generations For Peace (GFP) concluded today its first Rwanda Refresher Workshop in Kigali. Organised and led by Christian Hatumimana, a Certified GFP Pioneer, the workshop brought together leaders of youth from five regions of Rwanda and provided them with practical conflict transformation knowledge and tools to enhance their skills in accordance with their local community needs.

Overcoming deeply-held stereotypes and misperceptions between groups is always a challenge. However, the successful implementation of GFP programmes in Rwanda has gained momentum and volunteers were provided with the techniques and specialised knowledge and training to allow them to develop a sustainable relationship between the youth of diverse ethnic groups. “Generations For Peace gives leaders of youth the knowledge and skills to help us to live in harmony with each other,” said Christian, “I am really happy to see what is happening here.”

The Refresher Workshop builds on the experiential knowledge gained through the programmes already implemented across Rwanda, bringing Pioneers and Delegates together to plan the next cycle of programmes, and preparing them with the new curriculum for 2013. “Generations for Peace is reaching its goals and the cascading process has proven successful. The questions, responses and contributions of Delegates show positive results and are a sign of great things to come,” said Christian.

Since the implementation of the initial GFP programmes in Rwanda in 2010, the Delegates trained have cascaded their GFP knowledge and skills by selecting and training a 2nd generation of Delegates. In the words of Lema Richard Ramira, a Certified GFP Pioneer: “Today, determination, courage and smiles generate a new face of Rwanda, free from conflict, through a new Generation For Peace.”

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Generations For Peace (GFP) is an Amman-based global non-profit organisation founded by HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan and dedicated to sustainable peace building and the use of sport for conflict transformation.

By providing unique training and continuous mentoring support to volunteer leaders of youth, GFP empowers them to lead and cascade change in their communities, promoting active tolerance and responsible citizenship and working at the grass roots to address local issues of conflict and violence.

GFP programmes target adults and youth leaders who are influential in their communities; and children and adolescents who are the future of any community. Carefully-facilitated sport-based games and activities provide an entry point to engage children and adolescents, and a vehicle for integrated education and behavioural change.

Since 2007, GFP has trained and mentored almost 6,000 Delegates and Pioneers from more than 45 countries and territories in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. These peace building efforts have touched the lives of more than 90,000 children and youth.

Generations For Peace Media Team
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