On behalf of the Registered Trustees of Global Educators for All Initiative and Ambassadors for Peace of the Universal Peace Federation, we are delighted to announce the convening of the special West African Citizens Assembly 2015 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).

The Assembly will be hosted in Abuja, Nigeria at the National Merit Award House, Maitama, Abuja on June 13, 2015 from 12 noon.

Participants: The West African Citizens Assembly is open to citizens of West Africa resident within and outside West Africa who are passionate about the strengthening of ECOWAS to facilitate regional integration, peace and development. About 200 delegates from West Africa are expected to attend the assembly. Interested participants should email globaleducators4all@gmail.com or Nigeria@upf.org

Focus of the Assembly:
The special assembly shall feature the following among others:

• Dialogue of citizens on regional integration through marriage and family building
• Launch of West Africa Marriage Initiative
• Presentation of papers on West African citizenship policy issues and the new future of ECOWAS at 40
• Presentation of newly engaged young West Africans willing to marry for the sake of regional integration and celebration of West African international couples
• Presentation of awards for supporting regional integration

Background Information on the Assembly:
Being aware that the core purpose of all the activities of the ECOWAS in many areas over the past forty years has been the realization of a peaceful and integrated West African community.

Taking into consideration, the huge investment and commitment by ECOWAS, we are aware that the community still faces several challenges in the task of achieving regional peace and integration. Taking note of the recent shift in focus of the community from the ECOWAS of Nations to ECOWAS of People, we had high hopes that the desired peace and integration would be accomplished faster.

We have however realized that proclaiming ECOWAS of people without concrete policies and programs to connect people to information, each other and to resources will not bring about the desired result.

Being aware of the great expectations for the ECOWAS Commission at 40 as an organization embodying the aspiration for peace and unity in West Africa and as we appreciate the fact that the representatives of all member nations work in concert to promote peace and prosperity. Recognizing that the conscientious efforts to establish peace, undertaken by these national representatives at the ECOWAS centering on economic integration has not brought about the desired regional integration, and has often meet stubborn resistance.

Being aware that the accomplishments and achievements attained through the ECOWAS Commission have been significant, we recognize the fact that there is much room for improvement.

We believe there is an urgent need now as ECOWAS marks her 40th anniversary, through its many activities, to encourage mutual respect and increased cooperation between and among of the people of West Africa.

To this end, the special West African Citizens Assembly is being convened to deliberate on the need to include to the promotion of marriage among West Africans as a strategy to facilitate regional integration.

The special West African Citizens Assembly (WACA) to commemorate the 40th anniversary of ECOWAS efforts toward regional integration is a non governmental initiative to inspire actions for regional integration.

The Assembly shall deliberate on the need for strengthening and connecting people to people within West Africa through marriage and family building programs. During the commemorate assembly, we shall engage in renewal of marriage vows, wedding of newly matched couples who are committed to marrying from other nations in West Africa as well as honoring exemplary couples from West Africa.

We are hopeful that we shall launch the West Africa Marriage Initiative designed to promote marriage among West Africans as a tool for regional integration. It is our firm belief that the future of our common community depends on the attention we pay to marriage and family affairs and this initiative seeks to inspire individual and organizational support to the building of strong marriages and healthy families.