Global Youth Conference - GYCO Academy
Thursday, January 27th 2022
An incredible project to support young people in northern Uganda
I have been supporting this incredible project in Northern Uganda for over two years, have repeatedly been able to get my own impression of the place and I am very impressed how ambitious and cheerful the young people are despite their mostly tragic history. In spring I plan to travel back to GULU to work with the people on strategies and concepts for their life and work planning.
If you are interested in making a contribution in the form of donations in kind or money, or if you can imagine making an on-site consultation in English, please contact me!
Global Youth Conference GYCO aims to inspire and transform the mindset of young people in Northern Uganda, affected by the aftermath of war, in order to build a self-empowering and proactive youth.
The full story
In the summer of 2016, Louise Deininger, a conceptual artist and leadership figure in the Kenyan diaspora in Austria, travelled to Northern Uganda to produce a documentary film on the effects of decades of war conflict on the local population. There she found that despite some governmental peacebuilding efforts, the traumatic aftermath of war is still felt in the region. Among young people, school drop-out rates are around 30% often linked to early marriages; drug and alcohol abuse is on the rise; betting has become a major obstacle to economic growth; and gender violence is undermining the fabric of society.
The youth conference
Out of this situation, the idea of a large-scale conference for youth empowerment was born. Unique for the region, world-renown motivational speakers will be invited to encourage these young adults towards self-development, entrepreneurship and a belief in their own abilities. A number of capacity-building workshops will accompany the conference where technical experts and local youth leaders consult on needs assessments and solutions for the local communities. Lastly, by inviting businesses and local development partners, the youth is presented with concrete opportunities for their growth, personal development and success.
This is a challenge as well as a great chance to set a paradigm-shift in motion by which marginalized and disillusioned young people come to realize their interests, opportunities and ultimately unlock their full potential. In turn, youth empowerment effectively contributes to peacebuilding and strengthens a still fragile post-conflict society.
GYCO Art and Education Center
GYCO Art and Education center will be a place for ongoing and permanent encounter between local, North-Ugandan Craft, Art and Artisan and the Gulu province civil society, businesses and entrepreneurs. GYCO Art and Education Center will be the place for the youth of Gulu who have been affected by post-conflict strife to begin a new self-determined life. In close cooperation and even closer collaboration with local businesses, politics, NGOs who are active in the region and - most importantly - civil society, GYCO will create a youth center for experimental and interdisciplinary artists and craftsmen of a variety of fields and disciplines.
GYCO is dedicated towards ensuring that all members and participants of GYCO Art an Education Center are given the chance to acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture's contribution to sustainable development
Be a part of the GYCO success story-become a supporter!
How to contribute?
As being a non-profit organization and meanwhile registered as a NGO GYCO is dependent on your donations and sponsoring.
For all donators GYCO Austria will set up the GYCO Peace Ambassador's Club for private individuals who will support the set-up and operation of the GYCO Art and Education Center.
Secondly GYCO searches corporate sponsors who want to either support GYCO in general or provide funding for GYCO projects - please contact us for further details about sponsoring possibilities.
Join us! If you want to contribute with ideas, fundraisers, or for more information, please write us at office.vienna@gyco.eu
Global Youth Conference –GYCO
Hernalser Hauptstrasse 72-74
A-1170 Vienna
www.gyco.eu
office.vienna@gyco.eu
Bank: Bawag
Account: Verein GYCO
BIC: BAWAATWW
IBAN: AT70 1400 0014 1084 7899