| Dike wins the Pan African Essay Contest! |
In 2008, United Nations Millennium Campaign, Africa office launched her first Pan African Essay Competition for students and youth on the millennium Development Goals in Africa.The objectives of the MDG essay competition include
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- Raise awareness on the Millennium Declaration on fighting extreme poverty and hunger, commitments world leaders made in 2000;
- Increase young people’s understanding of the world’s most pressing development agendas in making the world free of poverty, diseases and inequalities by providing a platform for reflections MDGs related topics;
- Mobilize public opinion in support for MDGs and ultimate participation in the Stand Up and Take Action Campaign.
This essay was in the form of an official letter to the President of your country, drawing to the challenges on MDGs at a national level and an articulation of your suggested solutions to these challenges. These will form the views and demands that will highlight on your big issue of the Stand Up, Speak Out and Take Action Campaign.
Every year, millions of people all over the world stand up, speak out and take action in order to stamp out poverty and inequality. This Pan African essay contest is also a form of 50 days mobilization toolkit for the Stand Up and Speak Out Campaign which tries to draw up the challenges on MDGs at a national level and an articulation of suggested solutions to these challenges.
Kelechi Dike, a former student of the Federal Government Girls’ College, Abuloma, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria emerged the overall winner of the essay competition making her a proud owner of an I pod and a certificate.
This award was received at an award reception during the official launching ceremony of the “The Symbolic Twelve” and “The Significant Seventy on the 5th of December, 2009 at the Aminu Kano Hall, Binez Hotels Limited, Aba. |
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| John Obiechina appointed Chair, ULG |
In 2005, during the African Youth Foundation (AYF) stakeholder’s meeting in Germany, Universal Leaders Group (ULG) was formed to provide an informal, efficient framework for an ongoing exchange of opinions, |
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| knowledge and experience on strategic issues of concern by young professionals in diverse fields such as entrepreneurship, investments, education and development.
During the Management and Entrepreneurship, and train the mentor seminar held on the 29th- 30th October 2009 at the Royal Fiesta Hotel, Accra, Ghana, John Obiechina, who was appointed to chair the Universal Leaders Group was invited to present a paper on how to reposition the group to a greater height. In his presentation, he first started with the diagram of Africa and the role of ULG to both the continent and concerned people living in and outside it. He further urged young people present to give in their best and make sure this group grows.
According to Dr. Paulyn Jansen, the Executive Director, African Youth Foundation, “ULG is a gift to both Africans and those in Diaspora and urged the newly-would-be inaugurated members to avail |
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themselves of so many opportunities this group would provide for them.” She further charged all the African youths wherever they are to wake up from their slumber and recognize their timely role in building a greater African continent.
It is the dream of Dr. Paulyn to see ULG grow to actualize its main objectives and at least vindicate the purpose for which the stakeholder’s meeting was organized.
The platform has already been created by the foundation, but the question still remains whether we are ready to grab all the offers it has for us? So, if you are a young African or even a non African who wishes to be part of this group, feel free to browse through www.ulg.ayf.de or possible contact AYF through info@ayf.de for further information. |
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