International Day of Peace with the Peace Environment Project

The International Association of Youth and Students for Peace – IAYSP Ghana, Makrs the International Day of Peace with the Peace Environment Project

The project brought Young Contestants in the fields of Civil Engineering, Automobile Engineering, Agricultural, Waste Management Experts, and Environmental Activists from across the nation. Judges were selected from Ghana, Zambia, Germany and Cameroon. Some included popular personalities such as Amy Banda of the Cameroon Radio Television, Erst Kamga, a stablemate of International repute and a Ghanaian Royal, Nii Mpese Ayeh Congo I.

The six Judges examined the files and projects of the Contestants a few days ahead of the virtual competition.

On September 19, 2020, the Contestants  espoused their visions to the hearing of the selected six Judges in a Webinar that was streamed on facebook. Contestants defended their Projects passionately and scores were ranked in six categories:

UN SDG 13 – CLIMATE ACTION, HEALTH RELATED, IMPACT ON JOB MARKET, PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY, INNOVATIVENESS / CONTINENTAL INCLUSIVENESS and DATA/VERBAL PRESENTATION.

Among the Contestants was a young man of 21 years; Frank Darko, the inventor of a bicycle that can be ridden on water. He passionately manufactured this bicycle after watching on television, school children in a particular area in Ghana swim to cross a wide river to and from school every school day. These children’s clothes would be wet while in class. Frank Darko has permanently solved this problem in that locality. He also invented the Sweeping Bicycle to clean the dirty urban streets.

The winner of the contest was a young man by name Wonder Adukonu from Volta Region, a province in Ghana. Wonder has developed various organic farming methods.

He used the neem oil and leaves to make excellent pesticides and natural wastes to formulate sustainable composites that are used as organic fertilizer for many in his locality. He engaged in different good Environmental protocols and has helped many farmers in the field. The eloquent presentation of his project fetched him great admiration and good scores as well.

CELEBRATING THE COMPETITORS WITH A TREE PLANTING  & AN AWARD CEREMONY TO MARK THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE.

On September 21, 2020, Contestants of the Peace Environment Project were celebrated in three different regions (Provinces) of Ghana: Greater Accra, Volta and the Western Regions.

The Contestants in each Region were given the Young Ambassador for Peace Award and the winner had the “Medal of True Peace.“

Miss Eyram Banini; head of the Volta Region coordinated the program in her locality while Miss Emmanuela Akesse, Moderated the program in the Western Region as the head of the area.

The Moderator of the 21st program for Greater Accra was a young lawyer; Miss Comfort Kodi, assisted by Daniel Asomani, the student president of the Pentecost University of Ghana.

The program Invocations were made in the African traditional religion, the Christian and the Islamic faiths and set the peaceful tone upon which the program kicked off. The spokesperson for the Palace in his speech underscored that, trees protect the Environment and are intrinsically connected to Peace. He welcomed the initiative of the IAYSP in organizing both programs and asked everyone to feel welcome in the presence of the various royals who surrounded Nii Ayeh Mpese Congo I, the host of the event. Nii Ayeh Mpese Congo I is a Ga State installed Chief who heads all Ghanaian Rastafarians and Ga descends in the Diaspora.

Tegha King, the president of the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace in his opening remarks gave a breakdown of activities that characterized the competition. He emphasized on UN Sustainable Goal 13 – Climate Action and the organizations plans on the disturbing climatic trends. He revealed that the IAYSP is concerned about the low passion in activism for climate Justice and that the situation has been compounded by the Covid 19 pandemic. He advised that everyone should play a role to minimize the Climatic threats and curtail the burden that could be passed down to future generations. He added that even if governments fail to set policies to advance activism on climate justice, individuals, NGO and religious groups can set goals on planting trees and this would make a big difference on the anthropogenic CO2 that must be curbed with at least 45% to meet preindustrial era recommendations the target for the Paris Climate Summit of 2016.

There was the conferment of the Awards to the Competitors of the PEP 2020, the cutting of cake and popping of champagne. The vice president of the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace Ghana, Mr. Augustine Sugil Aboagye, eloquently gave votes of thanks to the audience while the Home Base Television and several other TV and Radio Stations accorded  interviews to some individuals simultaneously, as the program went on.

A  Symbolic Tree planting rite; where a Peace Tree was  ceremoniously  planted to mark the International day of Peace became the centre of attraction for many passersby.  It was said that the symbolic planting was a sign of Peace that should grow within the self, between fellow Ghanaians who are preparing for the general elections.

Short meetings were held after the program, to conclude: The Chiefs, the president of YSP Ghana and the foreign attendees discussed on creating synergy between the various organizations on subsequent program, and the possibility of organizing a Continental, and then a global event to sensitize those who are oblivious of the climate indicators, and expand the network of Peace and Environmental Activists on the continent of Africa.