Engaging youth to promote peace culture through innovative programmes

In an effort to promote peace culture in the region, NEN Nagaland has adopted innovative strategies to engage young people in diverse programmes that interest them. These are opportunities that NEN has provided for young people which have long term implications where their economic, social and cultural rights are strengthened and will be advantageous in the future.  NEN managed to bring in professional artists from outside the region to train young creative minds during the arts workshop. Through the interaction and exposure to new ideas and skills, the participants got the space to explore and realise their potentials, learn and share, and to build friendship and understanding. Again, in partnership with Life Sports (Professional football group), Kohima, NEN facilitated a football coaching camp in Chizami, Nagaland where professional coaches and players from within the state were engaged to train the rural youths.  Keeping in mind to ensure equality of opportunity and eliminate gender stereotypes, our programmes have both girls and boys. This paved the way for 6 of the girl-participants of this football coaching camp to get into a Sports Academy in Kohima, training to play professional football. Regualar screening of interesting films have made the Resource Centre an attractive place for the youth and children. We hope to procure a good number of DVDs to carry on the process.

Enhancing Capacities of Youth

NEN has facilitated many programmes for the youth from ‘hands on’  skill training like low cost sanitation construction, organic farming, bamboo crafts and food processing.  NEN believes in the capacities of young people to be agents of change in the society, given the opportunity.  

Local Capacities for Peace

NEN believes that the participation of young men and women development processes is interlinked with peace and good governance within and outside the communities. NEN sees these two as assets who play significant role in promoting human rights –non-discrimination, equality, accountability, peace, development. In this case, NEN has facilitated several training workshops and talks that focus on ‘building local capacities for peace’ for youth in the region.