Mbuji-Mayi, 25 February 2012 - Some 70 youths, including 19 girls, turned up at a workshop on child protection. The training course was organized in Mbuji-Mayi by the regional Human Rights section of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) on 23 February. The participant were from the Consultation Framework for Peaceful Elections (Cadre de consultation pour des élections apaisées), which comprises representatives from political parties and civil society organizations.

The workshop aimed at creating a climate conducive to strengthening peace in Kasai Oriental province with a view to the upcoming provincial elections. During the training session, the participant developed peace messages intended to be later communicated, via local media outlets, to different target audiences, including political parties, civil society, the government, the international community, students, and journalists.

Once trained, members of the Consultation Framework will continue their activities to sensitize children, youths, and political party representatives towards everyone's compliance with all existing legal provisions regarding child protection, especially during an electoral period.

The Consultation Framework for Peaceful Elections was established subsequent to the holding of the Youth Forum for Peaceful Elections on 21 November 2011, with the support of MONUSCO's Civil Affairs and Electoral sections, and the Executive Provincial Secretariat of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). Ever since, the youth leaders of the Consultation Framework have been learning how to manage debates concerning all aspects of the province's political and social life, and have been committed to pursuing community-building actions leading to the strengthening of social cohesion.