First-ever West African Youth Day Opens in Ghana With Call for Young People to Be Artisans of Peace

In brief

Bishop Alexis Youlo Touabli called on young Catholics to become agents of peace and reconciliation during the opening of the first West African Youth Day in Accra, Ghana. Addressing participants on September 8, the President of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA) told the youth that their gathering serves as a mission to address the violence, conflict, and sociopolitical crises affecting the region.

Bishop Touabli encouraged the young people to draw courage from Christ to face the specific challenges of their generation. He urged them to return to their local pastoral communities to act as sources of hope. During his address, the bishop also emphasized the importance of maintaining African cultural identity during modernization, comparing a people that loses its cultural roots to a tree without roots.

The inaugural event runs from September 7 to September 11. Bishop Touabli praised Ghana for hosting the celebration, noting the country's role as a place of encounter and its cultural heritage.