SOUTH SUDAN: African Youths Targeted in a Virtual Meeting for Promotion of Peace, Expected to be “protagonists of change”
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
A virtual meeting intended to explore on the significance of peace, aims to benefit the youths within the African continent who are expected to be instruments of peace so that change can be realized in various countries, speaker for the Saturday, July 18, event has shared with AMECEA online.
The three-hour talk to be given by Fr. Augostine Edan Ekeno a member of the Society of Jesus (SJ) based in Rumbek, South Sudan, will be convened under the theme “African Youth Sowing Seeds of Peace.”
Echoing Pope Francis’ words in his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit (Christ is alive) on young people and the entire people of God, Fr. Ekeno has disclosed three areas of concern which the youths need to embrace for betterment of the future continent.
“First, I want the young people to learn and appreciate the fact that they constitute the most productive and gifted generation with the potential to transform society, and as Pope Francis acknowledged that young people are “protagonists of change,” I want the youths to know that the Mother Church desires to accompany them to become protagonists of their own future,” Fr. Ekono who is Director of Multi-Educational and Agricultural Jesuit Institute of South Sudan (MAJIS) that integrates peace and reconciliation programs said in an interview.
“Secondly I want the youths to learn that it is possible to achieve peace,” The Kenyan-born cleric stated another area of concern adding that youths should not be “cheated and misled by pessimists who want to imprison humanity in the “bondage of biological pessimism.”
“We must learn how to free ourselves from being misled by those who want us to believe that human beings are incapable of inventing peace. The youths must be accompanied and guided to believe in themselves as catalysts that can bring forth the change we want in Africa,” added Fr. Ekono who has been working with the youths for about three years.
Stating further another matter of interest which the youths need to learn about, he said, “Peace cannot be achieved in Africa unless they (youths) resist to be exploited by enemies of peace that want them to fight wars and conflicts they do not understand.”
“Today many young people all over the world are being used, and to use Pope Francis’s words, “exploited as cannon fodder or a strike force to destroy, terrify or ridicule others,” Fr. Ekeno highlighted and continued, “I want them (youths) to understand that time has come for them to stand together as young people against the destructive strategies of greedy political individuals and groups who unscrupulously enjoy using them as a means to achieve their political interests and ambitions.”
The virtual event organized by Arrupe Jesuit Institute (AJI) in Ghana will speak on the topic, “Peace: What it is and why does it matter.” According to Fr. Ekono, the targeted group are young people because it is the group that has been “neglected” hence they are like “sheep without a shepherd.”
He has compared the life of the youths to how parents relate to their children currently saying, “We all know that the relationship which is supposed to exist between parents and their children is not as it used to be. In fact, many people will tell you that the relationship is in a crisis.”
“Many parents have neglected their responsibility of forming and educating the young people. They have gone into exile from forming their children. Even our educational institutions have ceased to offer education for life and adjusted themselves to mere centres for producing students perceived to be ‘smart’ intellectually,” Fr. Ekeno lamented.
Due to this neglect Fr. Ekono explained, “Jesuits are seizing this opportunity to fill that gap by accompanying the youths. We hope to fulfill this task by engaging the young people in ways that can help them embrace the core values which can enable them to build peace and face modern challenges.”
“This platform will help the youths to build a culture of encounter which will help the young people across the continent to exchange ideas and share their experiences of peace and how best they can build a peaceful and just world. We hope that this encounter will build a reflective and connected generation that can honestly seek to stand up one another regardless of their tribe, clan, nationality or religion,” concludes Fr. Ekeno.
