Capturing Youth Stories: Meet Charles Bwenge, The Congolese Who Fought to Join YSP

YSP USA initiated a photography project during the last two weeks of July 2024 aimed at showcasing the impact of YSP Africa’s efforts on local communities and documenting the transformative impact of YSP on youth in Zambia, Rwanda, and Kenya (Read more on the project here). Through this project, the delegation of YSP USA had the opportunity to connect with phenomenal young people from these communities and listen to their stories. And in Lusaka, Zambia, Charles Bwenge, an incredible Congolese member, had quite the story to tell—a story about determination, resilience, and a deep desire to join YSP.

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Charles Bwenge:

“My name is Charles Bwenge, born in 2001 in the village of Bukondi, Democratic Republic of Congo. I have seven half-siblings: four older brothers, one younger sister and two younger brothers. I became a member of YSP (Youth and Students for Peace) through their activities which are often held in our area. Whenever YSP held its activities, I was regularly invited to sing, as I was one of the most popular musicians in town. Two years later, I received a call from God inviting me to invest myself in YSP full-time. I paused my studies and resolved to join the Hyojeong Rang Africa program (A YSP leadership program that emphasizes an interfaith approach and equips participants with skills necessary to promote positive change and development in their home regions). Unfortunately, I did not have a passport to leave the DRC and go to Zambia, where the training center is located. Once I had my passport, I had to take a bus to Zambia, which was an extremely long journey that few people undertake by truck. Another difficulty was leaving my town due to the presence of the M23 rebels, who have been killing Congolese for years. Despite everything, my determination to join the training center was unwavering. During the trip, we encountered rebels who intended to burn us alive. Luckily, we had a small amount of money on us which we gave to them, which allowed us to pass. It's a long story, and I can't go into all the details here…

I went through very difficult times to reach Zambia. At the border between Tanzania and Zambia, I had my money and phone stolen during the night. I also encountered difficulties crossing the border because my passport had not been stamped. I spent two days at the border with no place to sleep or anything to eat. However, God intervened, and people of good will supported me from my home country. We were hit with rain, famine and sun throughout the journey. Despite a month and a half delay in joining the training, we achieved our objective.

 I am grateful to YSP especially in a special way for supporting the life I lead here in Zambia. A special deduction I receive through this program makes me grow intellectually and spiritually. In fact, it would be interesting if all the young people of my generation join the YSP. It would be an easy opportunity to change this world. Personally, I want to be a peacemaker and advocate against sexual immorality, drugs, rape, alcoholism.”

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Charles’ story is a reminder that youth from all corners of the world are determined to become the change-makers of today and that YSP, as a hub for youth, is committed to empowering young leaders like Charles.

Thank you, Charles, for sharing your story!

Side-Event at the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum 2024

The ECOSOC Youth Forum 2024 Side Event titled "Towards a Global Standard for Meaningful Youth Engagement in the Pact for the Future," took place on April 18 at the European Union Mission to the UN. Organized by the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace in conjunction with UN Youth Delegates and Youth Representatives from Austria, Czech Republic, the European Union, Ireland, Kenya, Malta, Switzerland, and the USA, this event was part of the broader theme of the ECOSOC Youth Forum, the theme being: “Youth shaping sustainable and innovative solutions: Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of crises.”

The upcoming Summit of the Future later in September is set to address the topic of youth engagement at the highest level. The ECOSOC Youth Forum serves as a pivotal platform for young people worldwide to engage in dialogue on sustainable development. The summit aims to produce a Pact for the Future, which seeks to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The zero-draft of this pact has requested the Secretary-General to lead the development of a global standard for meaningful youth engagement.

The primary objectives of this side event were twofold. First, to define standards and develop actionable recommendations for meaningful youth engagement by establishing clear guidelines in policy and decision-making processes. These guidelines align with the Secretary-General's Policy Brief, ongoing negotiations on the Pact of the Future, and specifically SDG 16.7, which aims to ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels. Second, to foster substantive dialogue by facilitating intergenerational and interactive discussions exploring youth involvement in policy-making processes in line with SDG 17.

Have a look at the event reports below, as well as the recording of the event and the keynote video!

Peace Cup Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Family Church proudly orchestrated the inaugural Peace Cup in the city, sponsored by Youth & Students for Peace USA, marking the 20th anniversary of this esteemed event. Originating in 2003, the Peace Cup has been a beacon of hope, endeavoring to reconcile regional conflicts, foster unity across diverse demographics, and propagate spiritual and cultural harmony through the camaraderie of a friendly soccer tournament. Its core mission remains steadfast: to leverage the power of sports, culture, and arts in the pursuit of a unified Korea.

From January 5th to 7th, 2024, Los Angeles bore witness to an exhilarating display of athleticism and unity, supported wholeheartedly by professional sports teams such as LA Galaxy and LA Clippers, alongside a captivating performance by a K-POP sensation during the opening ceremony. With over 750 enthusiastic participants attending the event over three action-packed days, the Peace Cup unfolded as a testament to the unifying power of sports. The inaugural day kicked off with a spirited futsal tournament, followed by volleyball and e-sports tournaments the next day. The second day also featured an educational session on North-South Korea relations, aimed at galvanizing awareness and support for reunification efforts in the United States. The event concluded on the third day with a basketball tournament. Through spirited competition and meaningful dialogue, participants not only celebrated the spirit of sportsmanship but also contributed to the noble vision of a unified Korea.

Visit their webpage to learn more: https://www.peacecupla.org/

Celebrating Earth Day and Global Youth Service Day!

In honor of Earth Day and Global Youth Service Day, Shine City Project participated in a service project at Desert Horizon Park on April 22, 2023. Joining Councilwoman Garcia-Anderson and other volunteers, our group helped to do some planting and litter removal around the park. Although the event was scheduled to be two hours in duration because there was a large number of volunteers and the park had already been well-maintained, the service project concluded in less than an hour. Despite the circumstances, our Shine City Project volunteers still did their best to make the most out of our time by cleaning up the park and picking up microtrash. We found many strands of plastic "Easter grass" dispersed throughout the park that were left over from two weeks ago. Overall, even though there wasn't so much for our volunteers to do, we were still happy to see that the park had been kept clean and that there were many people from various groups who came to help out and support the event.

Supporting the Local Ahern Orchard for Years to Come!

On April 15, 2023, Shine City Project volunteered at Ahern Orchard! Only a mile away from the casinos of Downtown, Ahern Orchard is located on land that once belonged to Las Vegas's earliest Korean immigrants. In the 1930s and 1940s, Korean immigrant Frank Kim and his Hispanic wife, Juanita Sanchez, owned and operated what was called the Kim Produce Farm. On their 20-acre farm, from the poor desert soil, they were able to successfully grow melons, tomatoes, and onions that supported the local community. Their son, Frank Kim, Jr., worked on the farm during his youth, and later became a well-respected member of the Las Vegas Police Department for over 30 years.

Today, this area of land has become Ahern Orchard. Breaking ground in February 2016, Ahern Orchard was started by Lloyd Benson of Ahern Rentals. Ahern Orchard currently has 3,200 plants and fruit trees which cover an area of ten acres. Some of the fruits that can be found there include peaches, apples, European and Asian pears, figs, pomegranates, and grapes, as well as hybrids such as pluots, plumcots, apriums! All fruits that are grown at Ahern Orchard are donated to local organizations and charities supporting food-insecure families and individuals in Las Vegas.

On this Saturday morning, our Shine City Project team was guided by Peacho, a worker who helps oversee operations at Ahern Orchard. Our task for the morning was to help thin several rows of apricot trees. Thinning fruit trees is the process of selectively removing fruit from the branches while they are still small so that the ones remaining can ripen and grow to a larger size. When thinning is not performed, the size of the fruit at maturity will be limited. Though some thinning may occur naturally by strong winds and birds, it's usually not enough. Thinning fruit trees have the additional benefits of preventing limb damage from excess weight, preventing fruit from dropping to the ground too early, improving sun and air circulation, as well as preventing the tree from being too exhausted to bear fruit in the next year, known as biennial bearing.

To help out with the task, our Shine City Project team had eleven volunteers! Two were joining us for the first time! To thin out the apricot trees, we broke up clusters of fruit so that only one remained. In between the remaining apricots, we left a space of about six or so inches. At the end, only about one-third or one-fourth of the fruit remained on the trees. Though the task seemed destructive and trivial, in actuality, it's beneficial for both the fruit and the overall health of the tree. We hope that in the coming months, our apricots can grow well!

Piles of Broken Glass, Ceramics, and Tiles Cleaned by Shine City Project!

On April 8, 2023, Shine City Project cleaned up at Wetlands Park! Our Shine City Project team of eight joined other volunteers in helping to pick up litter along a dirt road near Sunrise Trailhead. Surprisingly, we found an overwhelming amount of broken glass, nails, and piles of broken ceramic tiles. With the broken ceramic tiles being heavy and often in large pieces, we had to make frequent trips carrying the tiles from the cleanup area to the dumpster. It was a lot of work, but with all the volunteers who were present, one large dumpster was filled with all the trash that we collected!

Shine City Project and CARP Las Vegas Work Together!

Shine City Project and CARP Las Vegas helps to pull out Sahara mustard, an invasive plant species, at Boulder Beach at Lake Mead on March 25, 2023. The weed originates from the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, and it can disturb areas by taking over and displacing native plants. Our eight Shine City Project volunteers were late to the service project, but in the end, our volunteers put in additional effort and time to compensate for our tardiness. With all the volunteers who were present both within and outside of our group, over 1,000 pounds of Sahara mustard was removed!

Volunteers Protecting Lake Mead from Invasive Species!

On February 18, 2023, Shine City Project took a road trip to Lake Mead for a service project at Willow Beach! Led by Sara, we had a team of four Shine City Project volunteers who helped to pull Sahara mustard, an invasive plant species at Lake Mead. Our volunteers worked hard and invested themselves at the task at hand even though the work required great physical effort. In the end, our volunteers were able to fill quite a number of trash bags with the invasive plant. Even though our volunteers were able to accomplish so much, there was still so much more Sahara mustard to be removed from that particular area at Lake Mead.

Afterwards, our Shine City Project team spent some time together by having lunch and walking around in Boulder City! It was a great time to replenish our energies and fellowship with each other!

Volunteers Planting At Wetlands Park!

On February 11, 2023, Shine City Project did some planting at Wetlands Park! Our nine Shine City Project volunteers helped to plant the remaining willows from January's service project at Wetlands Park. Before putting in the saplings, we had to ensure that there was a sufficient amount of dirt that was placed back into the holes as they had already been pre-dug for us. Without doing so, the holes would be too deep for the willows. A lot of our efforts were ensuring that the soil amount was right and that the soil didn't contain large clumps of dirt. Often, we needed to break up dirt clods so that they wouldn't get in the way for the willows' growth. Overall, it was a nice time to simply be outdoors and to be in touch with nature!

Shine City Project and Get Outdoors Nevada cleans Acacia Park!

On February 4, 2023, Shine City Project cleaned up at Acacia Park with Get Outdoors Nevada! We had fifteen volunteers representing Shine City Project! Our team helped to pick up litter along the Union Pacific Railroad Trail, a trail that runs alongside the tracks of the historic Union Pacific Railroad. At the end of the cleanup, with the help of volunteers both within and outside of our group, a total of eighty-eight pounds of trash was collected!

After the service project, our volunteers headed to Boulder City and spent some time together! We made our way to Hemenway Park, a park where we could see some bighorn sheep! We enjoyed some lunch while observing the bighorn sheep roam freely around the park. After lunch, we went to the Nevada State Railroad Museum and experienced a ride on one of the trains! We enjoyed the cool breeze in an open-air train car while taking in the views of the landscape around us. After the train ride, our volunteers were invited to step inside the cab of the train and gain the perspective of a train conductor! To conclude our time, we had some root beer floats at A&W!

Giving Back to the Community by Cleaning Up!

On January 28, 2023, Shine City Project cleaned up at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Windmill Lane! With gloves, grabbers, and trash bags, our group picked up litter behind the 7-Eleven along Windmill Lane. To help out, we had twelve volunteers with one joining us for the first time! We found an abundance of items such as cardboard, plastic bottles, fountain cups, straws, and food packaging. As we were cleaning up, there were people who took notice of the work we were doing. One of our own community members even stopped by to appreciate us and offer a small donation! In the end, we were able to fill 32 bags of trash! Overall, it was a great way to contribute to the community! After the cleanup, we enjoyed some Zen Curry!

Food Distribution with Kids at Von Tobel Middle School!

On January 21, 2023, Shine City Project volunteered with The Just One Project! Our Shine City Project team met with other volunteers at Von Tobel Middle School, one of fourteen locations hosting Pop Up & Give on this Saturday morning. There were several pallets of food being prepared for the food distribution such as canned goods, mac and cheese, and apples, but our Shine City Project group was entirely responsible for passing out frozen chicken! Even though we had more than enough volunteers at our station, our volunteers were creative in ensuring that everyone in our group felt included and had a role in the food distribution. We had nine volunteers representing Shine City Project with one joining us for the first time! In the end, we were able to enjoy our time volunteering!

Planting 1000 Trees at the Wetlands Park!

On January 14, 2023, Shine City Project helped to plant trees at Wetlands Park! For this second Saturday of 2023, our Shine City Project team joined roughly a hundred other volunteers in planting willow trees in an area of the Clark County Wetlands Park. Several varieties of willows were being planted, but for our Shine City Project group, we were focused on planting coyote willows. The willows being planted would help restore the wetlands and help provide some natural habitat for the wildlife there. At the end of the service project, with the efforts of all the volunteers who were present, one thousand willow saplings were planted!

Ending the Year with Service at the Magical Forest!

For the last service project of 2022, Shine City Project volunteered with Opportunity Village at the Magical Forest! Founded in 1954, Opportunity Village is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving people with disabilities by providing them with enrichment, empowerment, and employment opportunities. Every year, they serve over 3,000 people in Las Vegas with intellectual and developmental disabilities in hopes of giving them the opportunity to live their best possible lives. Fundraising events like HallOVeen, the Great Santa Run, and the Magical Forest help to provide programs, and services, as well as wages and benefits to those they serve.

On December 24, 2022, our Shine City Project volunteers made our way to the Magical Forest where we were divided into several small groups at several different stations. While a few of our volunteers were helping with check-in at the main entrance, a few other volunteers were helping out at Whirl 'n Twirl, a teacup ride that spins families and guests around in a circle. Additionally, while a few volunteers were helping to make and serve funnel cakes, a couple of other volunteers helped to serve warm hot cocoa, apple cider, and cappuccinos! We had ten volunteers supporting Shine City Project at the Magical Forest! At the end of the night, we enjoyed some funnel cakes and other fried snacks, as well as a ride on the train! Overall, it was a nice time to be and help out at the Magical Forest and a nice way to conclude 2022!

Beef stew, Eggs, Mac and Cheese for the Doolittle Community Center!

On December 17, 2022, Shine City Project helped to distribute food to families and individuals at the Doolittle Community Center! Working with The Just One Project, our nine Shine City Project volunteers helped to pass out packaged beef stew, eggs, mac and cheese, tortillas, canned vegetable soup, grapes, frozen chicken, and sweet potatoes! Though it was cold, our bodies quickly warmed up once we started the food distribution. We hope that we could bring some joy and comfort to families and individuals during this holiday season!

Shine City Project Report for Service at Sunrise Trailhead at Wetlands Park!

On December 10, 2022, Shine City Project cleaned up near Sunrise Trailhead at Wetlands Park! Led by Sara, our team of seven Shine City Project volunteers helped to pick up litter near the trailhead. Our group found an assortment of items including car parts, bullet casings, and a Christmas tree! A volunteer also found some crystals which were speculated to be quartz!

Shine City Project Volunteers Join Forces With Just One Project!

On November 19, 2022, Shine City Project volunteered with The Just One Project! Our volunteers met at the Doolittle Community Center, one of fourteen locations simultaneously hosting this morning's Pop Up & Give. Our responsibility for this Saturday was to help distribute food for individuals and families. We had tortillas, sweet potatoes, tomato soup, ham, fish, cherries, and grapes all to give out.

For this Saturday morning, we were short on volunteers as another group had to cancel their volunteer plans. As a result, Shine City Project was the main support for this food distribution together with The Just One Project. Shine City Project had eight volunteers with one joining us for the first time! Overall, even though we were short-staffed, our volunteers did their best to work hard and quickly distribute food to all those who needed it. In the end, we were able to give away all of our food within the allotted three hours!

Service Project at Wetlands Park, NV

On March 5, 2022, Shine City Project helped out at Wetlands Park. Their group of ten volunteers met with Francheska, a staff member for the Clark County Wetlands Park. Their responsibilities were to help prepare an area outside the Wetlands Park Nature Center for some new trees and plants.

With a wheelbarrow and some buckets, the Shine City Project team first helped to move rocks into the planting area from another area of the Nature Center. After positioning the rocks, they removed some trees from their pots and placed them in their new homes. With wire cutters, they cut and positioned wire cages around the trees to prevent animals such as rabbits from harming the newly planted trees. Zip ties were used to keep the cages together. Finally, the volunteers took time to put in emitters for the drip irrigation system.

Overall, it was a hands-on experience that provided the volunteers new learning opportunities about the native plants in the area, as well as about general landscaping and gardening. For them, it was a great experience being able to contribute to Wetlands Park, and they hope to come back and see how the area transforms over time.

Clean-up at Las Vegas Boulevard and Windmill Lane, Las Vegas, NV

On March 26, 2022, Shine City Project returned to cleaning up the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Windmill Lane. Their focus for the morning was to help pick up litter outside a fenced dirt lot behind the 7-Eleven. Their ten Shine City Project volunteers were able to fill fourteen bags of trash. Additionally, they also had the opportunity to try out their new equipment to clean up. It was a warm morning, but they got the job done!

Back-to-Back Service Project at Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Las Vegas, NV

On March 19 and March 20, 2022, Shine City Project held back-to-back service projects at the Las Vegas Rescue Mission. On Saturday evening, five Shine City Project volunteers helped out with dinner service for residents of the Mission. As residents lined up, volunteers greeted them and helped to serve out rice, beef, salad, and other food items onto trays. Afterwards, they cleaned up by wiping down tables and chairs, sweeping the floor, and stacking chairs on top of the tables.

On Sunday afternoon, Shine City Project returned to help out with the community dinner service. The Las Vegas Rescue Mission dining hall opened up to those living outside of the Mission. Although only two Shine City Project volunteers came to support on Sunday, there were volunteers from other groups and individuals who came to help out as well. For their duo, their responsibility was to help refill water pitchers on the tables. As there were many who came to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission for dinner, the volunteers were on their feet working as quickly as they could to support the busy crowd. They constantly had to go back and forth between the dining hall and the kitchen to get more water. Additionally, they also had to help out with any spills and fulfill requests from diners. Great job, Shine City Project!