The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has organized an awareness-raising activity at Sembène Ousmane High School in Dakar, Senegal, as part of its mission to promote the ideals of regional integration, peace, democracy and youth civic participation.
The initiative, led by the Communication Directorate of the ECOWAS Commission in collaboration with the ECOWAS Club of Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), was held as part of the school’s end-of-year activities. “Its objective was to bring young people closer to the issues surrounding West African regional integration, introduce them to ECOWAS missions and programmes, and highlight the opportunities available to youth in the areas of education, mobility, innovation, and leadership.”
During the event, representatives of ECOWAS and the UCAD ECOWAS Club engaged with students of this secondary school, which is widely recognised for its commitment to academic excellence and civic education. Discussions focused on the “importance of civic engagement and the vital role that young people are called upon to play in building a more integrated, peaceful, and prosperous West Africa”.
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The participants were also informed about mechanisms for youth participation in community initiatives, as well as excellence and capacity-building programmes supported by ECOWAS.
The discussions highlighted the need to “multiply awareness-raising activities in schools in order to help students better understand the opportunities offered by regional integration and embrace the values of solidarity, peace, and development promoted by ECOWAS through its Vision 2050”.
The ECOWAS Vision 2050 constitutes the Community’s strategic development framework for the coming decades. It aims “to build a fully integrated, prosperous, resilient, and people-centered region, with particular emphasis on youth, women, innovation, and sustainable development as key drivers of transformation”.
The ECOWAS Club of Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar is a student organisation committed to promoting the values and programmes of the West African organisation among young people in Senegal.
