DOHA: Yusuf Al Kazim inaugurated the regional office of the Afro-Arab Youth Council (AAYC), a body brought together more than a decade ago to empower youth through sports.
Several executives from member countries featured at the inauguration ceremony where President AAYC Al Kazim delivered a keynote speech.
Al Kazim said the AAYC members have chosen to locate the headquarters in Harare after considering the peaceful environment and the country’s strategic position in the region.
Representative of South Sudan, Philip Lawrance Ajok said the setting up of the council’s headquarters in Zimbabwe is expected to boost its youth empowerment activities in the region and Africa.
Zimbabwe’s representative Misheck Gondo said the new headquarters is expected to institute various youth empowerment exchange programme among the member states.
The AAYC brings together youths from the Africa and Arab nations to exchange notes on various empowerment and education programmes as well as many other social issues linked to unhealthy living.
There are 17 Arab and African countries who are part of the AAYC which is headquartered in Sudanese capital Khartium.
“AAYC was established in 2004 in Khartoum and has a membership of about 60 youth organisations from Africa and the Arab world,” Al Kazim, who is President of AAYC, said during his speech in Harare.
“The council is working in the areas of training, education, environment, combating illegal immigration, unemployment and religious extremism,” Al Kazim said.
“The Executive Committee of the Council shall be elected every four years by the General Conference, which includes all member organisations and observers from international and regional organisations,” Al Kazim said.
“The Council during its current session, which began in August 2014 was able to open six Coordination bodies in Chad, Lebanon, Austria, Algeria, Senegal and Zimbabwe.
“The other two Coordination bodies will be launched during this year,” he said. “The AAYC through its partnerships with international and regional organisations call to support and promote young creative minds and enable them to participate in building the future of this region,” Al Kazim said.
“The opening of the Coordinating Body of South Africa in Zimbabwe aims to communicate with youth organisations in South Africa and encourage them to join the family of the young Arab and African Council in order to achieve the ambitions and aspirations of young people in this important region,” he said.
Al Kazim thanked Gondo ‘for his great efforts opening the office in Harare’. The Peninsula
