She adds that even though she does not listen to the radio, nor read newspapers much, she has never even heard it mentioned in conversation.
Mitchel Machisane, an assistant at the same phoneshop explains that he has heard of the Parliament through in the media, but he has never been able to acquire enough knowledge, to arouse enough interest in him to think about participating in it.
He explains however, that it is in principle a noble idea since “we need young people to address the issues that affect them, such as unemployment and HIV/AIDS”.
When asked about the parliament, a group of Secondary School students shrugged their shoulders. “I only heard about that Parliament yesterday in the news,” says
Ookeditse Makwinja, a student at Bosele Private Secondary School. “Maybe they will speak for us.
They should talk about the P2.00 fares first of all,” explains Kelebogile Dikgang, another student at the same school, adding that, “that is what is affecting young people right now”.
The Youth Parliament originated from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and is explained in detail in the association’s strategic plan for the period spanning from 2003 to 2007.
Its main objective is to “sponsor outreach programmes for young people, to make them aware of the values of Parliamentary democracy and to encourage them in its promotion”.
Launching the local version of the Youth Parliament at a Press Conference yesterday, Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Member of Parliament for Borolong, Ronald Sebego says that the media will play a vital role in outlining and publicising the relevance of the institution and as such implored the media to work towards that goal.
He stressed that it would be a shame if the Parliament was to become anonymous in the public sphere. The Parliament’s session will run from 26th of August to 1st of September and it consists of young people selected from a wide spectrum of Botswana society.
