YAOUNDE, July 13 (Xinhua) -- An international conference to highlight the role Muslim women and youth play in peacebuilding efforts opened Thursday in Yaounde, Cameroon's capital.
Participants from 25 countries are taking part in the two-day conference, which is organized by the Council of Imams and Muslims Dignitaries of Cameroon.
While opening the conference, Cameroon's Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute said that the country was ready to fully support Muslim women and youth using culture to spread messages of peace and development.
"Culture is an important aspect of people's development. In this context, it is essential that women and young people in general and those from the Islamic tradition in particular see it as an instrument of personal development," Ngute said. "That is why, our 2030 development strategy emphasizes that the government intends to train citizens who are rooted in their culture, respectful of the general interest and open to the world."
The conference, featuring the theme "Islam, women and youth employment, and peacebuilding," is the first of its kind in the Central African nation, according to officials. ■