'ANA Kolokihakaufisi and Tavite Fisi'italia from Tonga have been selected as two of the twenty youth delegates for the 2011 Wansolwara Youth Peace-building Training Programme.

'Ana works at the Japanese Embassy and Tavite is the Assistance Environment Coordinator for the Tonga National Youth Congress, both of them are active youth members in their own communities.

This month from June 20-23 twenty young people aged between 18 and 25 from around the Pacific region will gather in Auckland, New Zealand for an interactive four day programme focussing on regional solidarity, peace building and conflict resolution. New Zealand, a foundation member of the Commonwealth of Nations, will be an ideal setting for an initiative that propagates the potential of young people to be agents of peace-builders and developmental change. It ranks at number one on both the Global Transparency Index (perception of corruption), the Global Peace Index and number five on the International Democracy Index (the only Pacific country in the top five).

'Ana Kolokihakaufisi said: "This Youth-Peace-Building training is important because it can empower young participants to become catalysts in the promotion and creation of peace within their communities. There are similarities in the challenges that young people face,and I hope we can identify this and discuss ways we can address and deal with such challenges".

Tavite Fisi’italia said: "I believe that we should live in peace and harmony, instead of fussing and fighting and also working iniquity."

"The standard of applications received this year has been outstanding. The knowledge, experience and perspective that this group of participants bring to the programme will, I am sure, empower young people across the region to promote peace within their own communities,"' said Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) Pacific Centre Programme Manager Mr. Paul Peteru.

This peace-building initiative has been developed by young people who represented the region at the Nkabom Commonwealth Youth Leadership Programme in 2010 in Rwanda, Africa. The Nkabom Commonwealth Youth Leadership Programme is one of the Royal Commonwealth Society's flagship youth projects. Nkabom (pronounced ink-a-bom) means 'coming together' in parts of Ghana, and develops a youth-led network of young leaders who pioneer peace building initiatives in their communities, countries and beyond.

The conference is supported and funded by the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Pacific Nkabom Youth Steering Committee, 15/06/11.