Youth Empowerment

Youth highlighted on Commonwealth Day
The need to empower youths was emphasised during the celebrations to mark this year's Commonwealth Day yesterday in Honiara.

The theme for the day this year is “The Commonwealth -- Respecting Differences, Promoting Understanding”. Both the Governor General and Prime Minister spoke on the theme. The celebrations was hosted by the Commonwealth Youth Program - Pacific Centre in Honiara.

In that setting, Governor General Sir Nathaniel Waena took the opportunity to urge Commonwealth Youths of the region to be appropriately directed and developed. He challenged young people to advancing human affairs and to promote peace and national harmony.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare who was also present during the occasion challenged the Commonwealth Pacific Regional Youth Centre to assist in empowering youths of the region improve their lives.

The Director of the Centre, Afu Billy, acknowledged the comment saying she and her officers have just recently taken up their post. But she said they will do their best to address the specific needs of the members countries in the region.

MyBlog comments
Both the Governor General and Prime Minister of Solomon Islands have spoken of the need to help youth make a change for the better of the country.

MyBlog recognises the concerns expressed by the two leaders. It also acknowledges that successive national governments, provincial government, church and community leaders, individuals and various organisations had chipped in their contributions up to the present towards young people.

It would be unfair to say nothing had been achieved during the past years. MyBlog believes things have been achieved through those past efforts. The question is where do we go from here? This blog believes the people in all sector of life can cooperate with young people build on what had happened in the past and take it to another height.

Of course the government and other authorities can facilitate such empowerment, but it also needs the young people take up the challenge and run with it.

Solomon Telekom and Football
Solomon Telekom has taken another step forward as a corporate citizen to involve is the popular sports in the country.

Yesterday in Honiara Telekom and Solomon Islands Football Federation signed an agreement package worth one point five million dollars. Under the package Solomon Telekom will become the major sponsor of three football tournaments in the country under the supervision of SIFF.
These are the Senior National team, national club championship finals and Solomon Cup tournaments.

Meanwhile, President of SIFF, Martin Alufurai said the sponsorship assistance is a major boost to the development of football in the country.

MyBlog comments
Solomon Telekom and Football
MyBlogs salutes the help Telekom is providing for the Solomon Islands Football Federation and football fans.

Yes football is the popular sports in the country. But there are sports in the country that are struggling to hold competition, and they may be saying, why football and not us? Football by far is the sport that received each year millions of dollars from FIFA and the Oceania Football Confederation.

MyBlog acknowledges that this help had been trickling down to the rural areas through the various programmes of SIFF. This blog hopes that in the not too distance future, provinces can have their own football stadiums. But of course these things take time to materialised.

On another note, with the millions of dollars pouring into SIFF, does it have a money generating project or scheme to help its operation and sending of the various national teams to participate in international competitions?

Solomon Islands had been geographically disadvantaged by its remoteness from its neighbours and other countries of the world, making it very expensive to send teams overseas.

That's some food for thought.

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