With the participation of a group of experts, trainers and a large number of young people, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) Leadership Training in Peace and Security Program (LTIPS) concluded a series of training sessions, which were held over two days for the benefit of the youth participating in the 2022 edition of the Program, which ICESCO launched to graduate 80 Young Ambassadors for Peace this year.

The sessions were launched on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, in person at ICESCO Headquarters and via videoconference, under the theme “Benefiting Peacebuilding Tools,” with a discussion session on the training program and experiences learned from participating in the launch of ICESCO’s LTIPS for Youth and Women, in Tangiers, November 24-26, 2022, during which ICESCO’s Peace Ambassadors, who belong to more than 45 countries and the observers stressed the importance of the organized training workshops and meetings.

During the discussion session, Dr. Tracy Hart, from the World Bank Group, gave an address on managing natural resources and protecting the environment as tools for building peace. After that, the floor was opened for the participants to raise questions and ideas to enrich the discussion.

During the second day of the Program’s activities, Mrs. Ramata Almamy Mbaye, Head of ICESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, reviewed the Organization’s efforts in building peace and social cohesion through a comprehensive approach based on providing psychological, social and economic support to youth and women. For his part, M. Mabingue Ngom, Director of the Office of the United Nations Population Fund to the African Union, explained the importance of demographic shifts and their impact on mobilizing youth for peace, and Dr Vamik D. Volkan, from the University of Virginia, USA, presented a research paper on Peace of Mind and the Psychological Dimensions of Peacebuilding.

In conclusion, ICESCO’s ambassadors presented peace projects and implementation plans, highlighting the future stages of the Program, including ICESCO’s publishment of the Peace Book.