Major global leaders have adopted over the years, diverse policies that ensure empowerment of young people all over the world. The commonwealth for example, has series of funding windows through which it acknowledges and supports the great contributions of young people to community developments across the Commonwealth states. United Nations and the European Union have their own programmes through which they promote young people in diverse ways.
Sadly enough though, youth are featured in every news of our society – both locally and internationally – as they contribute to nation building. Only few readers and listeners usually pay attention to them. Unlike in the 18th and 19th centuries when scientific discoveries and community leadership were only attributed to the aged, our planet today is gradually succumbing to the leadership of young citizens – scientifically, technologically, democratically, and monarchically. These include communities that are traditionally, culturally and religiously fanatic, such as Asia and the Middle East.
Most successful legendries of our lifetime began their careers during their youth. Bill Gates for example, the brain behind the world’s most popular software application (Microsoft) wrote his first software at the age of 13. Mark Zuckerberg discovered Facebook at the age of 20 and became the world’s best social media innovator at 30. Faiq Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei, the richest footballer in the world, is just 20 years old. Sebastian Kurz became the world’s youngest national leader as Prime Minister of Austria in October 2017 at the age of 31; Kim Jong-Un, who succeeded his father as supreme leader of North Korea in 2011, is just 33. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani 36, is the Emir of Qatar — a post he took over in 2013 from his father; Emmanuel Macron 39, became France’s youngest-ever President in May 2017 after founding his own political party, En Marche! The list is endless…
This is why world leaders are investing in the youth from diverse fronts. Some UN agencies have even established databases of potential young leaders emerging from many countries across the world with diverse professional backgrounds. The United Nations Alliance of Civilization (UNAOC) for example, has established the Intercultural Leaders Network, a platform that keeps track of thousands of outstanding young leaders with whom it has worked over the years as agents of peace and positive social change in their own localities.
The above tells us that the youth no longer fit our usual traditional classifications such as ordinary hailers, marijuana addicts, burglars, cults or clique groups. They are now true stakeholders in community building.
Speaking at the Commonwealth Intergenerational Dialogue in November 2017, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Ret. Honourable Patricia Scotland said “Young people have a critical role to play in delivering Our Common Future. In the Commonwealth and across the world, we have seen incredible examples of young people who are being the change they want to see. Their engagement and empowerment is essential to ensuring a prosperous future for all.”
The next Commonwealth Youth Award, which includes cash grants and round trip tickets for the recipients to participate in the award ceremony, will take place in March 2019 during the Commonwealth Week in London. The theme of the ceremony shall be: ‘Safe Spaces for Youth’.
On 12th August this year the government of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with its donor partners celebrated the International Youth Day and National Youth Leadership Summit in the eastern provincial capital of Kenema under the same theme: “Safe Spaces for the Youth”. This clearly demonstrates our government’s readiness to imitate our colonial masters. But when closely looked at the socioeconomic and political scenario in which our youth are living today, one would like to ask: how does our country fit into the international framework of youth empowerment? How far is our government ready to go in the struggle to create a “safe space for the youth”?
For argument’s sake, let us assume that “creating safe space for the youth” really means reserving a piece of land for the youth. According to the last census, our population is about 7 million occupying 71,740 sq. km. This means that if we were to share the portion equally, about 97 people would own a sq. km. So how much of this space is truly owned by any young citizen, whether by direct procurement or inheritance?
In Sierra Leonean tradition, ownership of family properties – including farmlands, plantations and houses – chiefly depends on individual ages which allows the oldest, by default, to always assume ownership on behalf of the rest; thereby rendering the younger members powerless to have a fair share. This tradition exists in our main political parties as well. Every party has a young generation wing, which eventually motivates th
Sadly enough though, youth are featured in every news of our society – both locally and internationally – as they contribute to nation building. Only few readers and listeners usually pay attention to them. Unlike in the 18th and 19th centuries when scientific discoveries and community leadership were only attributed to the aged, our planet today is gradually succumbing to the leadership of young citizens – scientifically, technologically, democratically, and monarchically. These include communities that are traditionally, culturally and religiously fanatic, such as Asia and the Middle East.
Most successful legendries of our lifetime began their careers during their youth. Bill Gates for example, the brain behind the world’s most popular software application (Microsoft) wrote his first software at the age of 13. Mark Zuckerberg discovered Facebook at the age of 20 and became the world’s best social media innovator at 30. Faiq Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei, the richest footballer in the world, is just 20 years old. Sebastian Kurz became the world’s youngest national leader as Prime Minister of Austria in October 2017 at the age of 31; Kim Jong-Un, who succeeded his father as supreme leader of North Korea in 2011, is just 33. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani 36, is the Emir of Qatar — a post he took over in 2013 from his father; Emmanuel Macron 39, became France’s youngest-ever President in May 2017 after founding his own political party, En Marche! The list is endless…
This is why world leaders are investing in the youth from diverse fronts. Some UN agencies have even established databases of potential young leaders emerging from many countries across the world with diverse professional backgrounds. The United Nations Alliance of Civilization (UNAOC) for example, has established the Intercultural Leaders Network, a platform that keeps track of thousands of outstanding young leaders with whom it has worked over the years as agents of peace and positive social change in their own localities.
The above tells us that the youth no longer fit our usual traditional classifications such as ordinary hailers, marijuana addicts, burglars, cults or clique groups. They are now true stakeholders in community building.
Speaking at the Commonwealth Intergenerational Dialogue in November 2017, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Ret. Honourable Patricia Scotland said “Young people have a critical role to play in delivering Our Common Future. In the Commonwealth and across the world, we have seen incredible examples of young people who are being the change they want to see. Their engagement and empowerment is essential to ensuring a prosperous future for all.”
The next Commonwealth Youth Award, which includes cash grants and round trip tickets for the recipients to participate in the award ceremony, will take place in March 2019 during the Commonwealth Week in London. The theme of the ceremony shall be: ‘Safe Spaces for Youth’.
On 12th August this year the government of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with its donor partners celebrated the International Youth Day and National Youth Leadership Summit in the eastern provincial capital of Kenema under the same theme: “Safe Spaces for the Youth”. This clearly demonstrates our government’s readiness to imitate our colonial masters. But when closely looked at the socioeconomic and political scenario in which our youth are living today, one would like to ask: how does our country fit into the international framework of youth empowerment? How far is our government ready to go in the struggle to create a “safe space for the youth”?
For argument’s sake, let us assume that “creating safe space for the youth” really means reserving a piece of land for the youth. According to the last census, our population is about 7 million occupying 71,740 sq. km. This means that if we were to share the portion equally, about 97 people would own a sq. km. So how much of this space is truly owned by any young citizen, whether by direct procurement or inheritance?
In Sierra Leonean tradition, ownership of family properties – including farmlands, plantations and houses – chiefly depends on individual ages which allows the oldest, by default, to always assume ownership on behalf of the rest; thereby rendering the younger members powerless to have a fair share. This tradition exists in our main political parties as well. Every party has a young generation wing, which eventually motivates th