KATHMANDU, 28 July (Office for Disarmament Affairs) – The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) partnered with the International Youth Media Summit (IYMS) for the launch of its 14th edition in Pokhara, Nepal.
IYMS is an international NGO that brings together young filmmakers and engaged youth, providing media skill-building workshops so they are able to produce on-site thematic short films tackling current global issues such as discrimination, the environment, health, poverty, violence, women’s rights and youth empowerment.
This combination of technical training and thematic dialogue on current issues will result in the production of seven awareness-raising short films to be circulated in the delegates’ home countries and on global multimedia platforms. This year, over 70 delegates, aged 14 to 24, from 30 countries are attending. Of those, UNRCPD sponsored the participation of five participants from Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
In addition to the sponsorship of five delegates, UNRCPD’s Peace and Disarmament Education Programme Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific, Jane E. Lawson took part in a panel discussion on the Sustainable Development Goals as well as mentored the Violence Issue Group. Ms. Lawson spoke about positive and negative peace, conflict transformation and non-violence alongside broader issues of preventing violent extremism, disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation.
The International Youth Media Summit continues its activities this week as participants produce their short films. The partnership with UNRCPD will culminate on International Youth Day, on August 12, when the sponsored participants and UNRCPD will present and discuss their short films in various schools around Kathmandu. This project is part of UNODA’s Global Peace and Disarmament Education Youth Programme and is in line with the call of the Secretary General in the Agenda for Disarmament to engage with youth groups, civil society and community organizations in support of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. As such, this initiative contributes to the achievement of SDG 16, (Peace, Justice and Strong institutions), SDG 4.7 (Quality Education) as well as SDG 5.5 (Gender Equality).
For further information, please contact Ms. Jane E. Lawson, Peace and Disarmament Education Coordinator for the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, at info@unrcpd.org.