Post: Citizenship: the OMELA association shares its vision with adolescents

Ouagadougou: The 'Precious Vases' Department of the International Center for Evangelization organized, in partnership with Open My Eyes for Life Association (OMELA), conferences on several themes for the benefit of more than 700 adolescents who came from various backgrounds.More than 700 adolescents gathered in Loumbila for a camp organized by the International Center for Evangelization at the El Shadaï Center in Loumbila, for the benefit of adolescents aged 12 to 18 years old.On this occasion, several conferences were hosted by Open My Eyes for Life Association (OMELA) on various themes of interest to adolescents.The first communication focused on the theme 'Discipline, the bridge between objectives and their achievements'.The communicator and president of OMELA, Emmanuel Dori, explained that discipline among adolescents is essential to help them achieve their goals, whether academically, personally or in other areas of their lives.For discipline to serve as a bridge between an adolescent's goals a nd their achievement, he noted, among other things, the need to establish priorities, better manage time, develop self-discipline and establish good habits.'Discipline helps adolescents develop resilience, allowing them to face failures and challenges with a positive attitude.Perseverance is crucial to overcome obstacles and continue moving towards their goals,' the speaker noted.Addressing the theme 'The use of ICT and the subtle traps to avoid for adolescents', Emmanuel Dori underlined that the use of mobile phones can present several subtle traps for adolescents, influencing their lives in a significant way.He noted negative effects of excessive phone use on the lives of adolescents. These include dependence and addiction, mental health issues, sleep disruption and physical inactivity.'Excessive use of cell phones can affect adolescents' communication skills and social interactions. They may prefer online communications to face-to-face interactions, which may limit their development of essential social skills,' the speaker noted.According to the OMELA president, this communication aims to raise awareness among adolescents of the potential dangers and encourage them to adopt healthy habits of cell phone use, such as limits on screen time, periods without phones, and conscious use of social networks.The third theme, 'Citizenship in adolescence', was covered by Timothée Nadinga, responsible for mobilizing OMELA. He immediately emphasized that citizenship for adolescents implies their active participation in society and their understanding of the rights and responsibilities that result from it.'This is not limited to political participation, but also encompasses social, ethical and environmental awareness,' he said. He noted some key aspects of citizenship for the participants.It's about civic education and community engagement. According to him, we must understand the functioning of political institutions, human rights and the role of citizens in a democracy. 'This includes learning about the la ws and civic responsibilities, as well as the history and values ??of their country,' he said.OMELA is an associative structure of goodwill, ecumenical, apolitical and non-profit whose main objective is to contribute to the training and practical monitoring of children and young people for the emergence of a generation more open to the world and opportunities, with a view to realizing the highest ambition of their life.Source: Burkina Information Agency