Youth parliament could be the omitted element in youth development
Correspondent | Monday March 17, 2014 14:52
This reality is certainly creating frustration and generational conflict among our citizenry; it is unpleasant and must be eliminated. Governments, organisations and practitioners alike have and continue to look extensively at this aspect of Youth Development; their findings identified numerous factors that can be attributed to Youth Development setbacks.
Nonetheless common and supreme among the findings is the elements of; low/insufficient and in some cases lack of engagement of young people in policy formulation to ensure their needs are effectively addressed.
This lack/insufficient engagement of young people frustrates the good intention of youth polices; it results in the following realities; a) irrelevant/misplaced policies and programmes that do not address the primary (sometimes any) challenges of youth. b) Establishment of polices and initiatives that lack legitimacy and ownership among the young cartel. c) Generalised youth policies and programmes that disregard the key realities, experiences, location and aspirations of various cohorts of young people.
Through activism, research, networking and experience it is neither misguided nor farfetched to submit that, “The case of Youth Development in Botswana is no exception”.
In an attempt to cushion/bridge this gap in Botswana; government, civil society and policy makers alike formulated and mainly rely on; a) the National Youth Council, b) Kgotla meetings, c) Once-off time bound consultations such as “Dipitso”, Youth Organisations and d) Political Party Youth Leagues. The existence and establishment of such avenues/structures in an effort to combat youth development challenges is commendable and cannot go unnoticed.
These efforts are highly significant and largely encouraged. However these avenues/structures are frankly not effective and somewhat unreliable in advancing the inclusive combined voice and position of young people across the country in efforts to inform/influence national policy.
This is largely because Youth Leagues and Youth Organisations lack institutional and financial capacity to effectively and continually engage particularly rural and marginalised youth.
Their positions and submissions are mostly urban centered and in goodwill generalised to the larger national youth population. “Kgotla” meetings and “Dipitso” hold superior structural and financial capacity. The “Kgotla” setup is scheduled at times and circumstances that are not youth friendly and sensitive.
The “Dipitso” are usually once off and time bound, the resolutions and deliberations of these forums are not binding to government or policy makers (and many times not considered). NB: effective engagement is a process not a once off event. The National Youth Council is a great and promising initiative; it holds a competitively healthy standing institutionally, financially and otherwise.
Nonetheless by design/accident it is not in a position to impartially represent the aspirations and interests of the young. Mainly because its funding is directly on government conditionality and it is mostly centered in urban areas with most of its District Youth Councils (DYC’s) dysfunctional.
Consequently its resolutions are not inclusive and reflective of the realities and aspirations of all youth esp. the rural, marginalised and disadvantaged.
In earnest appreciation and recognition of this reality and challenges, the National Youth Parliament (NYP) surfaces as a strategic, viable and sustainable intervention. The re-establishment of NYP will be a great milestone in ensuring effective and sustainable engagement of young people in policy formulation, to guarantee their needs are effectively addressed.
NYP is not only preferred for inclusive youth centered motions, debates and resolutions; it is also favoured for its ability to motivate young people to become active citizens at local and national levels.
Emulating the national assembly it will ascertain/guarantee diverse and inclusive representation. For it to be nationally effective it has to be institutionalised to the National Assembly to ensure that its resolutions follow proper legal process and implemented via the National Parliament.
Compared to existing avenues NYP provides government, civil society and policy makers with better-quality understanding and knowledge of young people and their tribulations.
To a great extent this move will also emphasise government’s commitment to fruitfully addressing issues and concerns of the young generation. Initiating this initiative will certainly not be an easy overnight exercise; it comes with financial and human resource expenses.
However with genuine political determination and focus on the larger picture, it is very much possible.
Like any other project its likely to be a bit shaky at inception but with appropriate monitoring, evaluation and support it will come in extremely strategic and resourceful in our national, regional and continental endeavour of combating all youth development challenges, as articulated in the National Youth Policy and its respective action plan as well as the African Youth Charter and its respective decade plan which we seem to have sanctioned in principle and action not by ratifying and signing as its customarily done.
Gobe Taziba (gtaziba@yahoo.co.uk)
Youth Advocate