By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja

A group called Afrika Youth Movement, AYM, has received support from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, to create awareness on migration and novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic, in Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal in West and Central Africa respectively through Vision In Action, VIAC, implementation platform.

This support from UNESCO according to Peter Fongeh of AYM-VIAC, is a continued effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, which countries as result placed control and preventive measures that have tightened their borders including travel restrictions place.

Fongeh also stated that these actions have affected refugees and migrants worldwide, which have prompted some countries to take steps towards further reducing population movement that affects humanitarian corridors around the world.

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He also expressed concern that at the same time there could be cases of refoulement with asylum seekers being returned to their countries of origin, where they are at risk of persecution and in an apparent breach of international law.

The implementation of the project is titled, ‘Empowering Young People in Africa through Media and Communications’.

He said: “It is with this that UNESCO is supporting the Afrika Youth Movement through Vision In Action (VIAC) in the implementation of this project entitled ‘Empowering Young People in Africa through Media and Communications’, which benefits eight (8) countries in West and Central Africa: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal.

“The main objective of the project is to empower young boys and girls to make informed decisions on migration issues through better access to quality information (ODD 16.10) including Strengthening the access to quality information for the population in West and Central Africa (in particular the youth, considered as the most vulnerable) on migration, including irregular migration (root causes, flows, risks), in the sub-region and towards Europe; Promoting gender equality in capacity building of media professionals, editorial content and access to information, in relation to migration issues.

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“Supporting peaceful dialogue between migrants and host communities in the target countries through media and communication; Strengthen the capacities of journalists (especially young journalists) to produce ethical and professional reporting, including in the field of investigative journalism, on migration; and strengthening the capacities of young artists to produce content on migration.”

He also added that 10 original UNESCO messages have been translated from English and French into four national and local languages (Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, and Pidgin) in Nigeria and have also produced HD audio formats (wav) and compressed versions of the 10 messages for dissemination and attached to this letter/email.

“As part of your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), we sincerely hope that you find these messages useful for the PUBLIC and your AUDIENCE and help broadcast for the social, economic, and political good of the community”, he stated.

Vanguard