Meeting focuses on change

A WEEK-long meeting themed “Transform the youth culture” attended mainly by youths ended last Saturday at the Lae Secondary School hall.
The meeting involved presenters from the Government, business and the civil societies, informing youths about the services they provided and the opportunities youths could embark on to achieve their dreams.
According to organiser Pastor John Garu of the Christian Outreach Centre in Lae, the youths listened to God’s Word during night sessions and to community stakeholders during the day.
“On Monday, we had the law and justice sector; Tuesday, we had social sector; Wednesday, health sector; Thursday, the education sector and Friday, the economic sector, that is the bank and other financial institutions,” he said.
“These stakeholders were given a chance to speak to the young people and to contribute to the transforming of the youth culture.”
Garu said a collaborative effort was needed to educate young people and he was grateful to businesses and government departments for taking part in the youth meeting.
He said church organisations focused on the spiritual side of an individual’s development but youths needed positive examples as well to be shown how to contribute meaningfully in their communities.
“This will develop the young people financially, spiritually, mentally and socially and that is why we have here now different stakeholders speaking to the young people to transform them,” he said.
Garu said he planned to make the youth meeting an annual event in order to keep spreading positive and practical messages to the young people.
He also thanked representatives from the Australian Federal Police and the PNG police who spoke to the youth about making their communities safer.