Youth Festival for Peace #São Tomé e Príncipe

On September 7, 2019, YSP supported the annual Youth Festival for Peace in São Tomé e Príncipé, in front of Estadio Nacional 12 de Julho. The event was the culmination of two-months arduous efforts in mobilization by YSP international volunteers from twenty-seven countries in Africa and abroad, as well as local students who attended the Global Summer Camp earlier in the year.

Gates opened at 2pm and people started entering the main grounds. The festival program commenced at 4pm with songs from the Young Sound for Peace Competition finalists. The winner among these finalists was awarded with a trophy. This was followed by speeches from YSP International Chairman, Dr. Robert S. Kittle; the YSP International President, Mr. Koji Matsuda; and the YSP Africa President, Mr. Philbert Seka Seka, who unanimously encouraged the youth to cultivate a culture of filial piety towards their parents, maintain sexual purity and live for the sake of the nation. The Minister of Youth also gave a speech encouraging unity in the nation.

Dances from local and international dance groups created an exciting atmosphere, and these were followed by a thunderous Tong-Il Moo-Do presentation from our volunteers from the Philippines and local students.

Various local and international artists from Angola including Filho do Zua and Rui Orlando, electrified the atmosphere with their sweet-sounding music. People were also able to take part in the lottery where they had a chance of wining several prizes: flat screen televisions, smartphones, bicycles, a motorcycle, laptops, and scholastic materials kits.

To our surprise, the expected attendance of twenty thousand people was nearly doubled as people continuously flocked to the event in large numbers well towards 8pm. Almost twenty percent of the country’s population came to the Festival for Peace 2019 and we look forward to another great success come next year.