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Presentation: Pre-ADF Symposium on Youth and Governance By Madam Chair All Protocol Observe I bring you greetings from the West African Youth Network (WAYN), a sub regional youth empowerment group that has membership in twelve West African Countries. I also bring you felicitations from the African Network of Young Peace builders, a continental youth movement of more than 200 active members based here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I must first of extend my gratitude to the organizers of this important symposium for selected me from amongst many other qualified youth leaders from to make this presentation here today. Madam Chair: We have gathered here in this historic hall to basically brainstorm on the important role youth can play in governance, democracy, and education in Africa. It is our ardent hope that this Initiative will indeed provide an open forum for dialogue amongst youth representatives, experts and individuals to enable young people get off the fence and play their rightful roles in transforming governance systems that will afford them the opportunity to participate in decision making. Madam Chair: It is an undeniable fact that young people constitute more than fifty five percent of the population of Africa. Despite this fact, young people across the region from continue to be denied the rights to participate in decision that affect their well being. They have been marginalized in all spheres of Africa's political and social setting and today find themselves relegated to lesser roles. Regrettably, while this has been going on, young people has been the subject of unprecedented recruitment as soldiers, combatants and fighters by both Governments and irregular fighting forces alike. Let face reality, if young people are brave enough to fight and defend their countries, they must also be seen as mature enough to adequately participate in decision that affect their future. Madam Chair: A critical examination of most of the constitutions and statutory laws in Africa today will reveal that there are National Laws that give youth the chance to participate in decision making. The Liberian Constitution, for example, give young people as young as twenty five (25) the chance to be elected to their National Parliament. If indeed there are existing laws that recognize our right to participate then while are we been marginalized? The question now is how can we change and transform the mindset that have prevented youth from playing a more proactive role in governance and democracy in Africa. This is an immense target group, which lacks resources, access to knowledge, skill, training and decision-making. Tragically, the youth are still marginalized, both in terms of formal participation in politics and in influencing public policy in vital areas such as on leadership, education, governance and human rights. I shall attempt to answer this question with the following contributions: a. Youth Empowerment and Responsibility In my view the first step toward ensuring youth involvement in governance should commence with the youth themselves. Until we realized that we are formidable partners in the process of governance and social transformation, we shall continue to lag behind and be marginalized. In this vein, youth must be empowered through training to play their rightful roles. It will interest you to note that my organization, WAYN is presently working with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, based in the United Kingdom, to undertake a Pilot Project-"Engendering Democracy and Governance in West Africa though the empowerment and participation of Youth" in Togo, Ghana, Liberia and Ivory Coast. This Project seeks the mobilization of young people to participate in local and regional Politics and democratic e process. Our long term objective is the election of more young people to their National Parliaments and Local Councils. Realizing the importance of training in this direction, we have also commenced discussion with the Open Society Initiative of West Africa for the establishment of a West African Youth Leadership Training Institute at the University of Sierra Leone next year. This Programme seeks to equip youth with the necessary tools and skills for future challenges. b. Sensitization Programames and General Advocacy Most
governments and political institutions in Africa perceived young
people from the perspective of the "Youth Wing Mentality".
That is they only want to utilize the votes of young people to ascend
to political parties but not to work along with young people for
social transformation. In this light, the need to embark upon an
Advocacy Campaign to change this mindset cannot be overemphasized.
Participation of Youth in Governance and Politics is certainly a
right and not a privilege. We as young people must begin to speak
out about the need for us to be represented. We must make our voices
heard. "Our Lives began to end the moment we keep quiet
on little things that matter" is one of the famous quotations
of the late Martin Luther King. Madam Chair: Before I close, allow me to also articulate my view on the HIV/AIDS epidemic which forms an integral part of the agenda of this symposium. The issue of HIV/AIDS represents one of the most pressing challenges confronting young people in Africa today. We believe that if the fight is to be won, the active involvement of young people must be stressed. Our concern should be how we change the perception of young people regarding the disease. We must now focus on fighting the stigma and discrimination associated with it. To do this we must break the silence and make people to be aware that HIV/AID is not a death sentence as in the past. There is still hope for people who are diagnosed to live a longer life. If this is done people will not be afraid to know their status. We must also urge our governments to formulate strategies aimed at subsidizing the drugs and scaling up treatment for those affected. Having access to anti retro viral drugs is a right. We also need to step up our prevention campaigns. Young people are indeed the best agents and the first line of defense in this global fight. Madam Chair: We have a very arduous but compelling task ahead of us. We must work to adopt a Declaration at the end of this symposium that could serve as an Advocacy Tool for Youth's Participation. Let history recall that the participants at this Forum were amongst the architects of a Regional Youth Participation Policy in Africa. If obstacles beset our path to peace and participation; if hurdles obstruct our ways; and if anxious questions abrade the air of our confidence, let these be neither immovable barriers nor unsolvable riddles, but let them be viewed, rather, as stringent tests of our faith; exacting measures of our courage; searching scrutinize of our purpose, which will provide rigid determinations of the dynamic strength of our will to succeed Thank you, Madam Chair |