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Youth must be part of decision-making today – Hopeson Adorye tells young diplomats
The Global Board Chairman of the International Youth Network, Hopeson Adorye, has charged young diplomats to become bridge-builders and ambassadors of peace in their communities.
He made the call at the Diplomacy Training Programme Graduation Ceremony in Accra on Friday, October 17, 2026, held under the theme “Empowering Young Diplomats for Peace, Leadership and Inclusive Decision-Making.”
Congratulating the graduates, Mr. Adorye said the ceremony was not just about certificates but about “knowledge acquired, capacity developed, leadership strengthened, and a commitment renewed to serving humanity.”
He told the graduates they were leaving not simply as trained diplomats, but as potential ambassadors of peace, dialogue, tolerance and responsible leadership.
Highlighting UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, adopted in December 2015, he explained that the resolution recognizes young people as active partners in preventing conflict and building sustainable peace, not just beneficiaries.
The resolution, he noted, rests on five pillars: Participation, Protection, Prevention, Partnerships, and Disengagement and Reintegration.
“Participation means young people must have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their lives. Young people should not be invited to meetings merely to fill seats. The youth must not only be the future of decision-making; they must be part of decision-making today,” he stressed.
Mr.Adorye defined diplomacy as the art of listening, negotiating, building trust and finding common ground, saying the greatest victory is preventing a disagreement from becoming a conflict.
He urged the graduates to reject violence and promote understanding across political, religious and ethnic divides.
“When others promote division, promote dialogue. When others encourage hatred, demonstrate tolerance. When others seek revenge, advocate reconciliation,” he said.
He challenged them to take the principles of Resolution 2250 into schools, universities, workplaces and local assemblies, and to advocate for youth representation.
He reminded the gathering that there can be no sustainable peace if young voices are excluded from decisions that shape their future.
He tasked the graduates with three responsibilities: to be responsible voices for peace, advocates for meaningful youth participation, and agents of practical change in their homes and communities.
“The true measure of this training will not be the certificates you hold; it will be the difference you make,” he added.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
GES directs Ashanti Regional, Obuasi Municipal Education Directors to step aside over Obuasi SHTS scandal
The Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Dr. William Amankrah Appiah, and the Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, Mr. Kwamena Owusu-Nketiah, to step aside with immediate effect.
The directive forms part of ongoing investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Mr. Zakaria Abdulai.
According to GES, the decision is intended to ensure that the investigations proceed without potential interference, nor the perception of it.
The two directors are to hand over their offices and all state property in their possession to the Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mr. Thomas Kwame Boateng.
Management added that the headmaster, Mr. Zakaria Abdulai, also remains interdicted and therefore urged the public to ignore any news circulating that he has been cleared.
Management is calling for calm, support and cooperation as thorough investigations into the matter continue.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has joined the family of the late Professor Jason Atta Kwei Arday, the Ghanaian community in the UK, and other dignitaries for a memorial service in Southwark, UK.
In a post, Mr. Ablakwa described the service as deeply moving and unforgettable, held in honour of the late professor’s memory.
According to him, in keeping with the government’s pledge, he joined the family, Ghana’s High Commissioner to London, British MPs, Ministers, the Mayor of London, Cambridge scholars, Prof. Arday’s students and loved ones to pay respects and honour his inspiring legacy.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that Prof. Arday’s accomplishments as the youngest Black professor appointed at the University of Cambridge and his widely appreciated charitable contributions will continue to inspire generations.
“The Government and People of Ghana will continue to stand by our compatriots everywhere they are in the world. As we do so, we profess our commitment to justice, equality and the creation of a new world,” he said.
He prayed for fortitude for the family in what he described as an extraordinarily difficult time.
“We shall always remember Prof. Arday for his response when asked what he will wish to do to change the world: ‘I would take a thread and a needle, and I’d interweave love into our society’,” Mr. Ablakwa added.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
