Youth are partners in our desisions

YOUTH ARE PARTNERS IN OUR DECISIONS

by Amanda Onamandla Mathe

'Youths are partners in our decisions.'Those where the main words of wisdom conveyed by the United Nations representatives at the opening of yesterday's International Summit on Youth Crime prevention and Safer Cities in Durban, South Africa. It was further pointed out that often youths in nations across the world feel out place and not part of the decision process of the government and various organizations.

The International Youth Crime Prevention & Cities Summit has opened up a number of discussions and debates amongst the youth as well as the leaders of the many countries represented at the conference. The speeches seemed to carry one goal in mind: the inclusion of the youth in the decision making process , as often has the youth have been blamed for either causing constant disturbance to society or not playing an effective role in building society. However one needs to consider where the line of communication begins between the leaders of the world and the youth and why it is so difficult for our voices to be heard amongst the politicians who don’t seem to understand our views and concerns.

A lecturer from the Assumption University in Bangkok, Thailand said she was here to learn to improve her knowledge and gain a better understanding from this summit, in order to be able to apply it in her country of Myanmar. She believes that the conference provides exposure for a better understanding of society and an experience of the world in one place. Interestingly her main aim is to gain knowledge from information presented to her through the presentations held at the summit. She said there is need to observe, process and learn the information before you can come up with plans to change the youths in many societies. Her scope came across clearly as she said it is to help to make the citizens of her country better as person who is a teacher. I asked her what faculty does she represent and it was the Faculty of Nursing Science and she basically teaches her student community health. The factors that she focuses on are factors leading to alcohol, drug use and delinquency among the youth of Myanmar.

Mr. BH Cele stated in his speech that 'youths are dying alive', re-iterating the fact that crime is no longer a situation or a problem but a generational pandemic that was destroying the futures of the world when children are killing children. But, my problem is, if there is such increasing amount of violence; what is being done to break the chain? Is there a weakest link that leaders of the world are missing, or simple the vicious cycle of poverty? The lessons that need to be observed, processed and learned in order to better the youths of our country are lessons that need to be considered carefully, because its not only about being part of the decision making process but being part of the change that the youth would want to take part in. It seems that all the youth want is to be heard and given straight answers by the leaders that govern them and their futures.