Clean Streets, Safer Youth: HWPL and Partners Take on Drug Abuse in Lusaka
When people think about peacebuilding, they often picture treaties, summits, or diplomats around a table. But sometimes peace looks like something much simpler: a group of young volunteers picking up trash along a market road, talking to their peers about saying no to drugs, and choosing to protect their own community. That's exactly what happened in Zambia this past June, when the Zambia branch of HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light), together with the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) and the Youth Empowerment for Peace and Wellbeing Working Group (YEPW), launched a campaign called "Clean Up, Crime Down" in the Mandevu area of Lusaka. Marking a Global Day with Local Action The event was timed to coincide with the United Nations' International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Rather than simply raising awareness through slogans, organizers built a program that combined two things directly connected in many communities:...
