Monday, September 03, 2018
Kabul (BNA) Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs in cooperation with Colombo Plan’s Drug Advisory Program (DAP) organized 3rdAfghanistan Youth Congress in Kabul from 29th August till 1st September of 2018.
Addressing the opening ceremony, representative of the Drug Advisory Program called Drug Addiction among youth a challenging issue, asking all youth and the participant of the program to raise their voices in fight against drug and addiction.
DAP representative also went on saying this year’s 3rdAfghanistan Youth Congress was being held with the theme ‘Youth for Prevention’ as well as seeking Media outlets’ cooperation to raise awareness among youth on consequences of addictions. She also assured DAP’s cooperation with Afghan youth.
Meanwhile addressing his remarks, Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs Dr. Kamal Sadat asked youth to mobilize themselves in fighting drug in the country. Speaking on risks of using drug, its consequences and addiction, Dr. Sadat said prevention of addiction was every Afghan’s responsibilities. He also warned that if the addiction was not prevented, the country’s future generation would be badly affected with the ugly phenomenon.
He also thanked Colombo Plan’s cooperation in regards with holding of the 3rd Youth Congress in Kabul.
Meanwhile deputy ministers of counter-narcotic Jawid Qayem and higher education Ahmad Seyar Mahjoor spoke related to polices and strategies of the ministry of counter narcotics and unpleasant effects of addiction in the country. They also emphasized on raising awareness among youths in the country.
The session continued with presentation by the Ministry of Counter narcotic’s representative on ministry’s achievements and activities, saying the ministry was facing lack of budget to further raise awareness and take preventive measures on countering drug and addiction in the country.
Meanwhile Editor-in-Chief of The Kabul Times daily Hamidullah Arefi briefed the audience on mass media activities, Afghan government and Ministry of Information and Culture’s commitments towards activities of free media in Afghanistan.
He also said the state-run dailies, including that of The Kabul Times publishing stories on drug addiction and government’s programs to counter the phenomenon, adding media was playing key role in raising awareness among the public.
Pointing to growth of media in Afghanistan and that the Afghan constitution guarantees freedom of expression and free media activities, Arefi emphasized on media cooperation in preventing drug addiction in the country.
He said awareness of the negative impacts of drug addiction, reporting from the areas where opium are cultivated, processed and trafficked cooperation with government over raising awareness on alternative crops, reporting from the exact figure of addicts in the country, to help the line organs to address the issue and step up efforts for addicts’ treatments as well as broadcasting dramas and movies on drug addiction and its prevention could be the best way to minimize the threats of drug and addiction in the country.
The youth congress continued with open discussion of the participants who have come from across the country to explore ways on prevention of addictions in the country. The participants discussed and presented their ideas on media interventions and how they can be used to aid in drug prevention efforts.
The congress ended on September first with Dr. Kamal Sadat once again addressing the youth, asking media outlets to fulfil their responsibility in delivering awareness on negative impacts of drugs and youth addiction in the country.
The program ended with distribution of certificates to national and foreign lecturers.
Malikzada
