By William Selmah, wselmah@gmail.com
PHOTO: Team Tubman High School (Victors) and EU Deputy Head of Delegation
The Deputy Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Liberia has told young people that they have a role in turning their dreams of a better society into reality, including ending violence against women and girls.
Anders Arvidsson said, “It is our task; it’s everybody’s task to say ‘Enough’. We must all ‘Act together’ towards the elimination of violence and discrimination with and through the actions of everyday life”
The EU diplomat speaking over the weekend at the opening of the EU School presentation program held at the William V.S. Tubman High School in Monrovia’s Sinkor suburb. The contest was held within the context of this year’s commemoration of 16 Days of Activism on the global theme “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!”
Mr. Arvidsson used the occasion to urge young people to do away with the culture of silence especially in the face of the commission of gender violence their persons and others. He wants them to always report such crimes and to never settle for compromises.
“This is a message which applies to you young men. We all have shared responsibility to end violence against women and girls,” the EU diplomat said.
The competition was staged under the theme “Imagine Liberia in 2030”, and it brought together several schools. The G.W. Gibson High School on Capitol Bye-pass faced host, the William Tubman High School, the eventual winners. Students presented papers on 17 of the Global Sustainable Goals.
The winning school was represented by students Mardwina Q. Vaye, Aminata Talawally, Daniel E. Cooper and David Wilson elaborated on eradicating poverty and hunger, gender equality, environmental Sustainability, among others.
In her presentation, student Vaye underscored the need to work towards eliminating poverty in society because of its adverse effects including illnesses of all sorts, high unemployment, gender inequality and other ills in society. For her part, Talawally said ensuring gender equality was cardinal to ending all forms of violence against women and girls.
Student Wilson, in his presentation spoke of the need to adapt values that support, on long term basis, the provision of clean water and sanitation facilities for all.
Best female presenter Sylvia P. Wennie of GW Gibson High School receives award
Though Tubman High School won the contest, the best female presenter’s award went to Sylvia P. Wennie of the G.W. Gibson High School. The other representatives of the school were Abednego Wamah, Jeremiah M. Willie, Jr. and Chernor Barry.
At the end of the competition, the EU Deputy Head of Delegation in Liberia thanked the two schools for their presentations, telling them that they had all done remarkably well.
Presenters were judged, among other criteria, on the basis of the originality of their messages, the enthusiasm with which they present them and the clarity of the English language during their presentations.