Accra, June 30, GNA - Ghana will host the 2011 International Youth Fellowship (IYF) World Youth Camp from July 21-29 in Accra on the theme "Engaging the Youth with Volunteerism."

About 1,000 delegates are expected at the camp to be hosted by the local IYF to help the youth to remedy and understand problems they are encountering.

Launching the camp in Accra on Thursday, Mrs Beatrice Obro, Acting Director, Tertiary, Ministry of Education, called on stakeholders to imbibe the spirit of nationalism into the youth.

She said this would encourage the youth to contribute their quota to the country's development as well as volunteerism to inculcate the knowledge acquired into the young generation.

Mrs Obro said there was the need to engage the youth in activities that would help them realise their dreams to help curb indiscipline in the country.

She noted that most of the youth after completing school wished to be employed in an establishment without any experience and was hopeful activities of IYF would help the youth to acquire more skills for their development.

"It would be in our interest as a nation and people to imbibe the spirit of volunteerism, which is a way of life. We should not be self-seeking or self-centered to the detriment of others," she said.

Mrs Obro urged the youth to be selfless and cultivate good leadership qualities and values that would benefit them as well as the nation.

She explained that selfishness and the desire to get returns quickly had been responsible for the menace of get-rich quick attitude leading to several social vices such as armed robbery, fraudulent activities and prostitution which would not help in the country's development and urged the youth to eschew indiscipline.

Mrs Obro assured the youth of government's commitment to embark on activities that would help sustain their livelihood and advised institutions to run programmes that could help them acquire experiences for the job market after graduation.

Mr Archibald Donkoh, Deputy National Coordinator, Finance and Administration, National Youth Authority (NYA), said youth issues had gained much attention within the past two decades since the Declaration of International Year of the Youth by the United Nations in 1995.

He said funds had been released by the Government to support youth programmes in the country as part of the government's commitment to help achieve empowerment and development of the youth.

Mr Donkoh said NYA was facilitating the development of youth networks to enable them to participate actively in the youth development agenda.

Reverend Ato Edwin, Deputy General Secretary of IYF Ghana, said IYF was a global youth organisation based on Christian principles to solve youth problems.

He said the Authority trains the youth in French and other subjects especially students in deprived areas.

Rev. Edwin urged government to come out with policies that would help the youth develop their talents and call on youth organisations to explore programmes that would bring out the best in them.

In addition, the camp raises competent youthful resources with global mindset to replace the ageing labour force.

Rev. Edwin said the camp would create opportunities for IT training and education as well as propel mentorship and leadership training through lectures.

He noted that youth problems could be addressed when conscious efforts were made in collaboration with activities of the IYF for the youth to come together, and be able to address issues pertaining to their welfare.

Rev. Edwin said the camp would be used to inculcate in the youth the importance of holding good cultural and moral values towards sustainable development when they were exposed to language studies, craft, music and Information Technology.