Thursday , March 28 2024
Mercy Corps wants to engage the youth of Yemen and get them to believe that they can change their country.

The Road to Peace in Yemen: Helping Vulnerable Youth

My article on hunger and poverty in Yemen discusses one aspect of the road to peace in the Middle Eastern country.  Another is being undertaken by the charity Mercy Corps.  With USAID funding, Mercy Corps is running an initiative, Engaging Youth for a Stable Yemen.

Yemen is plagued by conflict in the north, a secessionist movement in the south, Al-Qaeda, hunger, poverty, high unemployment and lack of educational opportunities. These are a recipe for hopelessness and disaster for the country’s youth.  Under such harsh conditions, youth can easily fall into the abyss of despair.

Mercy Corps says, “if young people are more constructively engaged within their communities, then they will be less vulnerable to the negative influence of violent and extremist groups.”

Mercy Corps wants to engage the youth of Yemen and get them to believe that they can change their country for the better, one community at a time.

Mercy Corps plans to build dialogue among communities, youth and the government. The idea is to discuss causes of violence, how to resolve differences peacefully and identify development priorities.

As part of this program, young people will be trained to hold “Action Events” to raise awareness about local issues.  It’s about getting young people to think of new ways to cope with the problems of their society. The program also connects young people with mentors in the community. This will lead to internships and apprenticeships to develop career skills.

The Youth Leadership Development Foundation will be partnering wth Mercy Corps in carrying out these programs. Together, they can play a vital role on building the road to peace in Yemen.

About William Lambers

William Lambers is the author of several books including Ending World Hunger: School Lunches for Kids Around the World. This book features over 50 interviews with officials from the UN World Food Programme and other charities discussing school feeding programs that fight child hunger. He is also the author of Nuclear Weapons, The Road to Peace: From the Disarming of the Great Lakes to the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Open Skies for Peace, The Spirit of the Marshall Plan: Taking Action Against World Hunger, School Lunches for Kids Around the World, The Roadmap to End Global Hunger, From War to Peace and the Battle of Britain. He is also a writer for the History News Service. His articles have been published by newspapers including the Cincinnati Enquirer, Des Moines Register, the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Buffalo News, San Diego Union Tribune, the Providence Journal, Free Lance-Star (VA), the Bakersfield Californian, the Washington Post, Miami Herald (FL), Chicago Sun-Times, the Patriot Ledger (MA), Charleston Sunday Gazette Mail (WV), the Cincinnati Post, Salt Lake Tribune (UT), North Adams Transcript (MA), Wichita Eagle (KS), Monterey Herald (CA), Athens Banner-Herald (GA) and the Duluth News Journal. His articles also appear on History News Network (HNN) and Think Africa Press. Mr. Lambers is a graduate of the College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio with degrees in Liberal Arts (BA) and Organizational Leadership (MS). He is also a member of the Feeding America Blogger Council.

Check Also

yemen

United States Must End War and Hunger in Yemen

The air strike by the Saudi Arabia led coalition on a school bus carrying children in Yemen should horrify us all.