By Lilian Mathu
The Intergovernmental Authority on
Development (IGAD) Executive Secretary
Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, awarded three
young poets and one young film maker
who contested during the #IGADForPeace
social media campaign in abid to
advocate for peace and social
development through arts.
The hand over ceremony took place at
the Office of the IGAD Head of Mission
located within the premises of the
Kenya Medical Training College Campus
on Karen Road in the presence of the
IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, the
IGAD Special Envoy for the Red Sea,
Gulf of Aden and Somalia, as well as
IGAD Divisions Directors and
Specialised Institutions.
The awardees for Kenya are film maker
Wakarima Wangui, 30 and poets Norris
Mwavita, 21, Troy Roy Njagi, 19 and
Cheboi Wakoli who were awarded for
their peace poems and peace film.
The Executive Secretary applauded the
awardees for their talent and
encouraged them to pursue their dreams.
He commended them for their creativity
in advocating for peace through
artistic approach to advance peace
amongst the young generation for
development. “It is a pleasure for me
to meet, greet and award young
promising talents in poetry and
filmmaking in Nairobi today”, he said.
“Youth account for a large majority of
our population, and they are the ones
most confronted with challenges such as
unemployment, violence and drugs. They
are the voice for a peaceful future we
need to hear. Talking the language of
the youth through the youth is
paramount in passing the message of
good governance and peace building. At
IGAD, we aim to leverage on young
people’s talents through advocacy
making them peace ambassadors,”he
continued before handing over the
Awards.
The peace campaign was aimed at
highlighting the aspects that
contribute to the promotion of peace
within the IGAD region where tension
between countries and armed conflicts
thrive.
Similar award ceremonies will be held
in the Offices of the IGAD Heads of
Mission in other IGAD member countries.
The #IGADForPeace social media campaign
started at the end of July and ended
mid-November.
The campaign highlights 5 areas:
● #IGADin1Minute is a short video
programme of the history of IGAD in 3
episodes, as well as shortened pieces
of videos produced by IGAD Programmes
and Projects in their respective areas;
● #IGADChampionOfTheWeek is to showcase
grassroots participation and
involvement in the IGAD Programmes and
Projects;
● #DiscoverIGAD is short videos
emanating from member countries Tourism
Boards aimed at promoting the region
as a tourism destination;
● #IGADPeacePoems is a call for short
poems to be shared by our followers of
our social media platforms. These poems
are to bring out the beauty and
benefits of peace; and
● #IGADPeaceFilms is a call for short
films along the same lines as the peace
poems.
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