Cape Town - The International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) and the Heavenly Culture World Peace Restoration of Light (HWPL) celebrated National Youth Day with their theme “Promoting sustainable livelihoods and resilience of young people for a better tomorrow”, held at the Albert Luthuli Plaza.
The plaza acted as the perfect setting for the festival which celebrated the youth of yesteryear who are the shoulders on which the youth of today stand.
The message for the youth was that they held the power and have the ability to tackle long-standing social issues such as gender-based violence (GBV) and unemployment.
Councillor France Higham of ward 77 was in attendance to speak to the youth and various attendees, which included many members and schoolchildren from impoverished communities, including Bonteheuwel, Atlantis and Worcester, about the challenges that they faced on the road ahead.
“The youth are the Davids of this world and their challenges are the Goliaths.
“We want them to overcome the challenges of poverty and unemployment and to promote resilience to take on responsibilities that are demanding and for them to grow stronger.
“Solutions are found in engaging directly with those who face the challenges and it is only right that the youth are given the right to engage in that conversation,” she said.
Nkanyiso Radebe, spokesperson and regional manager of HWPL said the event was a day of hope and peace for the youth.
“Today’s event is about two things. First, we commemorate the youth of 1976, it was a peaceful march that killed so many people who advocated for change.
“Second, as HWPL, we are advocating for peace and we are celebrating this day for peace.
“Today is significant because we recognise the young people who have suffered and been affected by war, especially in our communities.
“Young people must realise their power and potential and today we are here to give them a message of hope and courage,” he said.
The festival culminated with a peace march around the CBD and gave the youth a chance to commemorate, celebrate and raise awareness on youth conflict and the need for peace.