The fifth and final round of Dialogue Forum on Youth Leadership opened today (November 22, 2022) at the Dreamland Resort Hotel in Bishoftu/Debre Zeit. The training programme was organized by the Center for Development and Capacity Building (CDCB) jointly with Forum for Federations based in Canada. The House of Federation has been part of the programme in the preparation and implementation efforts.
This round of the Dialogue Forum was opened by introductory remarks of Ato Amanuel Adnew, Executive Director of the CDCB. He said that 40 youth leaders drawn from different sectors participate in the Dialogue Forum training organized in 5 rounds this one being the fifth in the series. He added that even though the total of 200 youth participants is a small number in relation to millions of youth unreached by the programme, the expectation is more would be reached each one of the participants taking the responsibility to reach at least 10 and more.
In introducing the CDCB, The Executive Director said the Center was established in 2012 under the then difficult circumstance due to the restrictive CSO Law to work on advocacy of rights issues. Since 2018, however, the Center has been extensively working on trainings, research works and working on discussion forums aimed at raising awareness of citizens on the Human Rights, Democracy, Rule of Law and Peace Building. In the process he cited that at least 100 senior intellectuals, academia, and researchers have been involved and contributed their part. He concluded that active participation is expected of the participants to live up to expectations in sharing their experiences and acquisition of knowledge and skill from others too with the support of the trainers.
Esteemed Ato Yaekob Bekele, Senior Programme Manager with the Forum for Federations introduced the background to the Federation. He said it is based in Canada working with a network of 10 other member countries to which Ethiopia belongs. He said the Forum of Federations was initiated by the Government of Canada following the ruling by the Supreme Court to introducing federal structure of the government in response to the demand of Quebec. He said Quebec conducted referendum twice to secede with narrow margin falling of winning to do so. Thus the Supreme Court interfered passing decision that allowed federalism that helped Quebec stay in the Union.
The fifth and last round of the programme continues its deliberations for 4 consecutive days that
culminates Friday 25 November 2022.