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Posted By: EL-TAWE. Rating: 1 / 5. |
Youth Alliance for democracy and Development YADD, Global Conscience Initiative GCI form Youth Forum in Kumba
The Youth Alliance for Democracy and Development and Global Conscience Initiative have formed a Youths forum in Meme to coordinate the activities of all Youths associations and groups in the division. The forum was the product of a one day conference grouping 65 youths from various associations in Meme division that held in the conference hall of the Family and Women Empowerment Centre in Kumba on Saturday, November 11, 2006. An interim 10 man committee is steering the affairs of the forum, and has as its prime mission the identification and mobilization of all youth associations and other initiatives in the division.
The present forum is in line with YADD’s programme to create a network of youth forums in the Southwest Province, and came on the heels of the creation of the youth forum in Muyuka – Fako Division. The conference was initially scheduled for November 4, 2006, but failed to hold because of a timid participation.
Welcoming participants to the Conference, YADD coordinator, Mr. Atem Eugene Atabong, lamented that youths in Cameroon have resigned their faith to destiny and are now living in apathy of the political decision making mechanisms. He said youths definitely have to come out of the cacophony to play fore roles in the political, economic and social life of the country, and the only guarantee of posterity for their children and subsequent generations.
Mr. Atem said Youths need to come together, mobilize their potentials, and participate in the polity of the country not only by climbing poles and hanging banners, entertaining others with songs and dances and begging for crumbs of bread, but by actively participating in elections by either voting or aspiring to elective positions, ensuring accountability from persons in elective positions, and making a critique of government policies and how they affect the common welfare. He also urged youths, especially the females to get interested and actively participate in community live.
Mr. Atem’ s address was followed by another from the Civic instructor of the Women Empowerment Centre, Ms. Sama Patience, who lectured the youths on their civic responsibilities. She lectured the youths on their rights and duties as citizens, and exhorted them against docility and apathy. She also discussed elections and participation both as a candidate and as a voter and about eligibility in both regards.
Ms. Sama chided the female youths for always taking the back position and only taking part in public affairs as hostesses, ushers and entertainers, and then stay at home all day watching Nigerian movies and or gossiping.
Picking the cue, Global Conscience’s Protection Officer, Ngala Elvis Tawe, expounded on the right to vote and to be voted to any elective position in the country, stating that such rights are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights and other international treaties duly ratified by the Cameroon state party.
Still about election, Global Conscience CEO added that participating in elections is both a civic right and a responsibility of each and every citizen. Mr. Samba Churchill discussed the implication of non participation in the election as a way of participation but dangerous in the sense that the citizen has opted not to complain about what ever happens around him or her.
The CEO explained the role of councilors and parliamentarians and challenged the youths about what efforts they are making to hold their councilors and parliamentarians accountable.
“You can not hold somebody accountable if you did not participate in the elections,” Mr. Samba warned; “You also cannot hold somebody accountable if you do not know what is to be expected of his office”. He urged the youths to first of all understand the role of a member of parliament in community as a basis of judging whether their parliamentarians are delivering the goods or not.
The CEO also encouraged the youths to design projects that they can lobby their parliamentarians and other donor bodies to sponsor, and that they should get interested in local politics and go into the councils.
Ahead of the Southwest Chiefs Conference billed for November, the CEO said he expects the youth to forward a memorandum to the conference about their expectations.
Speaking after the Global Conscience Founder, Lake Site Radio managing Director, Mr. Alene Menget, told the youth to know themselves, enhance their talents and potentials, and work in close collaboration. Mr. Alene was speaking on the importance of communication in building a more responsible and development oriented community. The MD said without communication, there would be no development and no talk of democracy. He expounded on the different forms of communication that exists and warned the youths against the use of communication in a way that threatens the peace of the community, such as rumour mongering.
Expatiating on the use of communication for development, GCI CEO told the youths about the wonderful world of the internet for research, networking, funding and exposition. He urged the various youth groups to create email accounts and said he would assist them with the building of their individual websites.
The conference then decided on a plan of action and set up a committee of 10 that was charged with identifying and mobilizing all the youth forums in Kumba and coordinating their activities and networking with the different youth forums in other towns. The committee agreed to meet the following Monday in the human rights centre of the Global Conscience Initiative to work out a plan of action. The youths also took some important resolutions to shape their activities in the days ahead.
Light refreshments concluded the occasion.
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