Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung@ 40 in Ghana Fraternity Message from Youth Network for Human Rights and Democracy(you-net) to Friedrich- Ebert- Stiftung(FES) on the Occasion Of FES’ the 40th Anniversary in Ghana LIFE, they say, begins at forty(40) and we at you-net are particularly delighted to be associated with this momentous event. Undoubtedly, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung has, over the years, made tremendous contributions towards the development of Ghana in diverse ways. The contributions of FES in consolidating Ghana's democracy cannot be over emphasised. FES is one of the few organisations which understood the need for youth empowerment as an important strategy to achieving democratic consolidation in Ghana. Indeed, we have achieved a lot through our collaboration and we can confidently say that the fruits of our collaboration have blossomed and are permeating the entire nation. Our Youth Leadership Training Programme(YLTP), a partnership project between you-net and FES, which has been running for the past seven years offers a rare opportunity to youth leaders of political parties, civil society organisations, student unions among others to build their leadership capacities for positions of responsibility. We are always proud of the alumni of the YLTP. The collaboration between you-net and FES, also led to the creation of the Inter­Party Youth Committee(IPYC), a common platform for youth leaders of political parties to network and build relationship for peace in Ghana. This project has contributed towards engendering the culture of peace among political party youth, something we consider significant and important for Ghana. Again the Youth and the Budget Project, another collaboration between you-net and FES, has also helped demystify and deepen the understanding of young people on the budgeting process. We wish to use this opportunity to indicate that we cherish our collaboration and we are looking forward to more exciting times ahead. We wish to congratulate the Resident Director and the entire staff of FES on the occasion of FES@40. Congratulations! Prosper Hoetu Executive Director 80