Mr. Marcel Mendy, the Executive Secretary of the National Youth Council has disclosed that about 6.6m young people worldwide are currently displaced by armed conflicts, many of whom are exposed to violence, acute poverty and separation from their communities.

NYC’s boss was speaking over the weekend during the celebrations marking the one-year anniversary of the United Guardian Youth for Development, held at the President International Award School hall in Bakau.

This young people, Mr. Mendy added, are often confronted with additional barriers because of the lack of sufficient education, healthcare, protection, livelihood opportunities, recreational activities, friendship and family support.

According to Mr. Mendy, the silent majority of the world today consists of young people, who remain silent because of apathy and ignorance.

As he stated their goal in peace-building and the prevention or transformation of conflict and building a culture of peace is to promote the active participation of youths in nation-building.

Mr. Mendy actively encourages young people of this nation to cast off apathy, and join the quest for world peace. As he put it, we have noting to loose but gain.

Noting that drug abuse gives rise to dependence both physical and psychological, he said, dependence gives rise to mental, emotional, biological or physical, social and economic instability.

This, he noted, is one of the unproductive ways of leading a life because its effects an individual.

Mendy is of the view that youths occupy a delicate and sensitive position within the population structure for several reasons.

He said youths as the cream of the nation should desist from any form of unproductive lifestyle.