EAA Successfully Concludes Virtual 12th edition of the Youth Conference EMPOWER 2020
HOSTED BY EDUCATION ABOVE ALL (EAA) FOUNDATION’S PROGRAMME, REACH OUT TO ASIA (ROTA), THE FIVE-DAY VIRTUAL EMPOWER YOUTH CONFERENCE 2020, FEATURED A COMBINATION OF WEBINARS, TOWNHALLS, KEYNOTE SPEECHES, WORKSHOPS AND A DIGITAL EXHIBITION.
Over 700 youth from around the world participated in this year’s conference, organised under the theme of ‘Youth Mobilisation for Inclusion, Peace and Security’. The aim of the conference was to engage and strengthen youth inclusion in complex peace processes through awareness, knowledge and capacity building.
EMPOWER has established a reputation for going beyond the theoretical by providing the youth a platform to announce a global call to action. At the conclusion of the conference, participants issued the ‘v-EMPOWER YOUTH DECLARATION 2020’. The declaration acknowledges current and entrenched issues that lead to conflict, global inequality and climate change. The declaration goes on to call for greater inclusion, collaboration and support of youth as part of the solutions to these issues, as well as the protection of vulnerable populations.
Ahmed Al Langawi Empower 2020 participant said: “This empower went beyond empowering us as youth and getting our voice heard to an extra mile of getting us mobilized and engaged in the peace and security process”.
The v-Empower 2020 Conference has successfully served as an important forum to promote the importance of collaborating and engaging with youth and provide a platform for youth voice in global issues. The participation of high-level stakeholders, such as community actors, international organizations and United Nations bodies, further provided participants a chance to engage leaders in discussions around the world’s most pressing issues.
In relation to all discussions, comments were rich and diverse, Mr Abdulla Al Abdulla, ROTA Acting Executive Director stated that he is “Extremely impressed by EMPOWER quality of discussions on youth current challenges & priorities, despite the effect of the global pandemic, and their clear vision on their meaningful engagement for building back more peaceful nations”.
Additional interesting comments were made by international participants and partners participating in the conference.
Saji Prelis Representative of Search For Common Grounds, commented by saying that “As young people demand spaces to make their voices heard, feel connected, and learn from their peers and adults alike from all over the world, Empower has provided a real safe platform to achieve this goal.”
While, Khemra from Cambodia said, “I enjoyed every single theme of this year conference ... and one thing that fascinated me most was that it’s theme is always connected to the power of youth and education, which motivated us significantly to be active and responsible citizens for our communities.”
Download the full v-EMPOWER YOUTH DECLARATION 2020
