Message from the President of the Association Timbuktu Land of Peace and Culture
This training session marks an exciting collaboration between the young people of Timbuktu. I have the honor to address you on behalf of the presidents of all partner associations. It’s an honor to introduce this event in which The Tombouctou Land of Peace and Culture Association has organized a training in civic leadership this Saturday January 20, 2017, in the training room of the Mahamane Alassane Haidara high school of Timbuktu.
This event is an important part of our ongoing efforts to build our civic leadership. Our objective is to better train the leadership of the Association Timbuktu Land of Peace and Culture in order to face the challenges of the millennium and enable our leaders to be active citizens within their Community while serving as examples for positive change in the Timbuktu region.
To learn to train and develop oneself has becomes an imperative for each member of the association. In the digital age, we must use information communication technologies as a weapon for capacity building and especially for the perpetual quest for knowledge in order to be leaders at the service of our communities.
I admire the expression, “Leaders are the last servants”
What does this mean? It means that the primary concern of the true leader is not his or her own well-being and personal advancement. A good leader is concerned about the advancement of the people he or she leads. Our association's mission is to serve as an active network of young leaders in partnership with other youth leaders in Timbuktu.
In addition to the members of the Timbuktu Association of Peace and Culture, our other partner associations will also participate in this training. Those associations include the Living Reading Association, the Association of Next Leaders, the Hamanbangou Youth Committee, The young International Chamber of Timbuktu, the Nafahaya Association, the Youth Association for the Salvation of Timbuktu, the Young Citizens of Timbuktu, the Association for the Prevention and the Fight Against Alcoholism of Timbuktu, and the Committee of Young People from Sareykeyna.
And now, before trying to impose ourselves among the elders, let us seek to find ourselves, to be one strong force for youth.
This session in civic leadership will be facilitated by the coach of the Timbuktu Land of Peace and Culture Association, Mr. Almahady Yattara.
This man is willing to share his knowledge at any time with us.
According to Almahady Yattara “We must fight not only poverty and hunger, but also against injustice and bad governance in order to restore peace and justice and bring Malians to live together in a harmonized society where tolerance, justice And transparency will be the key terms of citizens for a better future.”
Dear brothers and sister’s youth of Timbuktu, we have an urgent need to unite and train ourselves to find lasting solutions to the problems our communities are facing, because today, youth must be strong decision makers. Our youth leaders must work with our international partners to advocate for solutions to the problems that confront the youth of Timbuktu.
I will conclude with this quote from Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller: "If you stop learning you cease to be a leader. "
Then for youth and for the holy city of Timbuktu civic leadership training must be at the heart of our personal development to meet the challenges of the millennium. We, the youth leaders of Timbuktu want to be among the most active young people in the world.
Thanks you
President
El Hadj Djitteye
