The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Executive Secretary Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, awarded three young poets and one young filmmaker who demonstrated excellence in their craft in a recently-concluded peace campaign.
The #IGADForPeace social media campaign was organized in a bid to promote peace and social development through the arts.
Those feted included Kenya’s filmmaker 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 them for their talent and encouraged them to pursue their dreams. He commended them for their creativity in advocating for peace through an 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 peacebuilding. At IGAD, we aim to leverage on young people’s talents through advocacy making them peace ambassadors,” he added 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.
The handover 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 Specialized. Institutions.
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 programmes 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
