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Manifesto

The Youth Constitutional Coordinating Committee (YCCC) has launched a National Youth Manifesto to advocate for addressing challenges faced by Zambia's youth. The manifesto aims to lobby the government, political parties, and other stakeholders. It outlines demands around issues like youth representation. YCCC hopes political parties will adopt the manifesto's demands in their own platforms ahead of next year's elections. However, government officials argue there is already significant youth representation and programs being implemented to create jobs for young people. The manifesto launch sparked debate between youth groups and the government around the issues faced by Zambia's youth.

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105 views

Manifesto

The Youth Constitutional Coordinating Committee (YCCC) has launched a National Youth Manifesto to advocate for addressing challenges faced by Zambia's youth. The manifesto aims to lobby the government, political parties, and other stakeholders. It outlines demands around issues like youth representation. YCCC hopes political parties will adopt the manifesto's demands in their own platforms ahead of next year's elections. However, government officials argue there is already significant youth representation and programs being implemented to create jobs for young people. The manifesto launch sparked debate between youth groups and the government around the issues faced by Zambia's youth.

Uploaded by

Alfred Mumba
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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By ALFRED MUMBA

THE Youth Constitutional Coordinating


Committee (YCCC) has launched a
National Youth Manifesto which has
been envisaged as a tool for advocacy
and lobbying government, political
parties and other institutions and
stakeholders on the urgent need to
address the major challenges the youth
are currently faced with.
And government has warned of the
danger the country’s development
would put itself into if young people’s
plights are not addressed.
YCCC Secretary General Guess Nyirenda
said that the development of a Youth
Manifesto marks and pioneers the
recognition of the inevitability of coming
together and the collaboration of the
youth on the demands to have their
challenges addressed comprehensively
and not cosmetically.
He said that it is YCCC’s hope that upon
reading and understanding the Youth
Manifesto, political parties’ leaders and
members will begin to seriously buy in
on the demands of the Youth and
include them in their party manifestoes
ahead of next year’s general elections.
“It is my conviction that YCCC and the
youth of Zambia will use this manifesto
to judge and monitor the seriousness
and accountability of a political party to
resolving the challenges of the youth,”
said Nyirenda.
He said youth representation in the
country has been deteriorating, calling
for an intervention such as the Youth
Manifesto which YCCC anticipate to
change the mindset of leaders towards
the young people.
He said the problems young people are
facing are not felt by the elders hence
the current reluctance in addressing
youth problems.
Amid cheers from UNZA student at the
launch of the Youth Manifesto, Nyirenda
castigated government for not paying
attention to the plight of the young
people.
And permanent secretary in the Ministry
of Youth, Sports and Child Development
Teddy Mulonga had a tough time to
convince UNZA student and youths that
there is youth presentation in his
government.
Mr. Mulonga said thirty years ago there
weren’t more representation of youth in
government as it is today.
He wondered why the Youth Manifesto
should call for 30 percent youth
representation when there were more
youths in parliament and even in his
office.
“When coming up with such kind of
aspirations you should first do a
research. My office has more young
people working there. They are youths
serving as Members of Parliament as
opposed to the situation thirty years
ago,” he said.
He said government would in the next
years embark on programmes that
create employment for young people.
Mr. Mulonga said ignoring the plight of
the youth would be done on country’s
peril.
He said that a lot of entrepreneurship
trainings are underway that would
enable the youth start up their own
income generating ventures.
“Yes employment levels might be high,
but let’s not talk much about becoming
employees, let’s engage ourselves into
ventures that would make us
employers,” said Mr. Mulonga.
He encouraged the youth to read the
Youth Manifesto and debate its content
not only among themselves but with
government who are their primary
stakeholders.
And speaking earlier, Friedrich Ebert
Stiftung (FES) outgoing resident
representative, Gerd Botterweck said
his organisation was once again happy
to work with YCCC in formulating a
Youth Manifesto.
Mr. Botterweck said the manifesto has
come at a right time when the country is
going for general elections next year.
He said Political partys should study the
manifesto and see what they can
include in their manifestos, adding that
young people who are the majority
voters would want a government that
listens to them.
Mr. Botterweck who moved to South
Africa after working in Zambia for five
years, said the manifesto touches very
important issues which, if tackled
seriously, could improve the social,
economical and political lives of many
young people.
He said a voice of one organisation
cannot be listened to unless youth
organisations come together and have
one voice on issues affecting them.
Mr. Botterweck said he would
remember the Zambian young people
for their tireless effort in insuring that
their voices are heard through enough
representation in decision making.
He said through the participation of
young people in areas of national
development there is hope for Zambia
to be economically dependent on itself.
The Youth Manifesto is currently under
circulation. For details on how you can
receive a copy, please call Mulenga
Fube on 0979577758 or come in person
at YCCC secretariat at Lotti House, Sixth
Floor.

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