05 Nov 2023

Government has offered the International Youth Federation (IYF) land to construct a state-of-the-art youth centre.

The international youth empowerment organisation, with roots in South Korea and 215 branches worldwide, envisions changing the lives of the youth through mind education and encouraging them to desist from unruly behaviour such as the use of drugs, crime and other social ills.

It has the largest youth interaction platform worldwide and young people are engaged in cultural exchange activities involving language, music and dance with emphasis on resolving youth problems. 

The federation is in the country for the IYF 2023 world camp.

Speaking with the IYF and Mind Education Institute founder, Dr Ocksoo Park on Friday in Gaborone, President Masisi said the programme would assist young people to shape their future as well as that of the country to realise its ambitions of transforming young people.

Dr Park and President Masisi discussed youth development and the role that government could play in facilitating their advancement through the Mind Education programme. 

Dr Masisi said the programme would guide the youth to be responsible future leaders, adding that Botswana embraced freedom and the rule of law and ensured that its youth were nurtured and grown through the parameters of what was culturally appropriate and good for the country, Africa and the world.

President Masisi said the education ministry would assess the programme to establish if the already expanded curriculum would be able to absorb the programme.

President Masisi said a delegation, led by the Minister of Education and Skills Development, would be sent to South Korea to find out what mind education was all about and establish how it could fit into the lives of young Batswana including adolescents.

He said a piece of land had been offered on a 50-year lease period.

Giving an overview of the youth federation, Dr Park said the programme had changed the lives of many young people who were engaged in drugs and unruly conduct.

He said the youth federation was established in 2001 to cast out darkness in the hearts of the youth around the world.

Dr Park said the world must unite and assist the youth to change their mindset and desist from engaging in drug use and other negative behaviour.

He said the programme taught young people to think deeply and to interact with one another.

He also said it instilled self-control. 

Dr Park appealed to the ministries responsible for youth and education to work closely with his organisation. 

“The first thing that we want to do to is to recruit school teachers to teach mind education,” he said.

Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Mr Tumiso Rakgare said he led a delegation to the IYF world cultural camp in 2022 where over 10 000 youth were gathered.

Mr Rakgare said they offered programmes that guided children to adopt responsible behaviour and to strive for a bright future. He said local youth who were assembled by IYF for the three-day camp would be empowered to make informed decisions in life.

He also said it was a welcome educational and guidance platform, adding that it was important to guide children and prepare them for a better future.

Mr Rakgare said the facility would offer programmes designed to build young people for the better, and that they would emerge better human beings with minds focused on making informed decisions to better their lives.

Mr Rakgare also said the proposed facility would not only benefit the young, as more would be engaged to offer programmes that would eventually be spread to other parts of the country. Ends