10 May 2010

Youth a key focus in UN workshop on peace-building

10:31 am on 10 May 2010

Preventing conflict among Pacific youth is a key focus in a United Nations Development Programme workshop on peace-building that finishes in Nadi in Fiji Tuesday.

More than fifty representatives of government and non government organisations, the private sector and development partners from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tonga are taking part in the workshop, which has been running since last week.

An organiser, Tracy Vienings, says the aim is to broaden participants' understanding of the root causes of conflict so that more than the symptoms can be dealt with.

"We have a lot of urban youths who are marginalised, who can't get jobs and we need to look at some of the push factors that are causing youths to come into urban areas, looking at some of the opportunities they do or do not have, issues of identity, issues of a real struggle with some of the youths about breaking away from traditional structures in the villages which don't necessarily cater for the new needs of youth."

Tracy Vienings says through providing jobs and opportunities to youth, the private sector can play an important role in minimising conflict in the Pacific.