In March, the 4th installment of the ‘IPYG Youth Empowerment Peace Class’ (YEPC) was held in Africa including Rwanda, Sudan, and South Sudan, organized by the international peace organization HWPL. This program aimed to provide high-quality education to parents and youth alike, fostering the values of peace and encouraging growth as peace leaders.

The sessions, conducted on March 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th, included parent education sessions on the first two dates and youth health education on the latter two. The goal was clear: to equip parents and youth with the necessary knowledge and skills to promote peace and become leaders in their communities.

The International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) is a youth organization under the Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) organization. IPYG has designed NGO-led informal education programs to address the lack of educational opportunities faced by youth worldwide, ensuring accessibility to citizens worldwide, including youth. Initially, through IPYG Youth Empowerment Peace Workshops, opinions were gathered from youth worldwide regarding the education they require. Subsequently, HWPL peace education, global citizenship education, youth health education, and parent education courses were established through the IPYG IPYG Youth Empowerment Peace Class platform. This initiative has been ongoing since 2021, spanning four years.

In many countries across Africa, autocrats continue to seize power, and coups and civil wars persist. The continent grapples with harsh environments, political instability, as well as ethnic and religious conflicts. The conflicts destroyed most of the economic, social, and intellectual foundation and led to the emergence of a generation that grew up without parents. This generation is having difficulty in educating their children because they have no educational experience from their parents, and there is no place to learn for them, so improving the educational environment for their children remains an unresolved challenge.

James Ochuho who attended this event from South Sudan said “I believe that YEPC education is crucial for young people, especially Parent Education, which is immensely beneficial for both current and prospective parents. Positive discipline is to propose a role and to allow choices rather than one-sided commands, so it it very helpful in actual discipline”

Chairman of HWPL says that “We can see that peace starts from family. Therefore, we need fine education in families. When we can foster our children so that this word becomes one with their flesh and bone. I am sure we can make world peace together.”

Parent education was divided into two parts, along with the vision that teaching love, peace, and respect at home will lead children to embrace the values of peace and contribute to building a peaceful world. In the first session, participants learned about positive discipline techniques that can enhance children’s self-esteem. The second session focused on applying these techniques through case studies and role-playing exercises, providing an opportunity to gain deeper insights into understanding children.

Following IPYG’s parent education, the next two weeks focused on youth empowerment and health education. In the first session of youth health education, participants learned about skills and leadership necessary to live as global citizens. The second session covered topics such as drug abuse and smoking, emphasizing Youth Health Education to protect the health of young people.

Audace Musoni from Rwanda said “The ‘Power of Youth’ education was particularly impactful. Reflecting on examples of servant leadership, I pondered on what kind of individuals are truly needed in this era. It would be beneficial to extend this education to more young people.”

African youth realized that the most significant positive change they can make as young individuals is to end wars and pass on peace to future generations. They aspire to grow as leaders of peace, spreading a culture of peace alongside IPYG.

HWPL aims to continue its parent education efforts in Africa, emphasizing the need for active involvement and efforts from local educators, youth group leaders, and volunteers to ensure sustainable progress.