Article Details

Human capital development and the pursuit of peace: the Centre for Youth and Sports Development (CDJS) is working towards this goal

Human capital development and the pursuit of peace: the Centre for Youth and Sports Development (CDJS) is working towards this goal As part of ECOWAS’s new Vision 2050: ‘ECOWAS of the People: Peace and Prosperity for All’, the Commission aims to promote leadership through human capital development in order to address common challenges relating to regional integration and the promotion of peace. To this end, through a holistic and coordinated approach, several community projects have been developed or are currently being implemented to stimulate economic growth and sustainable development. However, the growing challenges in the fields of education, health, economic inclusion and peace must be addressed at national and regional levels. The Commission, through the Centre for Youth and Sports Development (CDJS), is implementing the ECOWAS Volunteer Programme (PVC) to enable young people to participate in community service, peace-building, economic growth and regional integration. Officially launched on 26 March 2010 in Monrovia, Liberia, ECOWAS and the CDJS firmly believe that young people can act as catalysts in the process of conflict resolution and regional integration, and contribute to the realisation of this new Vision 2050. The 5th ECOWAS National Volunteer Agencies Forum, held from 20 to 24 February 2023 in Guinea-Bissau, highlighted young people’s civic engagement in promoting a culture of peace and social cohesion in the face ofinsecurity within the ECOWAS region. The volunteers involved develop individual or collective initiatives and socio-educational activities for the benefit of communities and their host organisations in various fields such as hygiene, raising awareness about early pregnancy and drug addiction, setting up French and science clubs, community development, conflict resolution, agriculture, and more. They are deployed across several countries, including Burkina Faso, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. #cdjs #ecowasvolunteers