by Oge Okonkwo
Uyero Erarawewho Junior, is the Conference Coordinator of the West Africa Youth Conference holding in Nigeria from 21st – 25th of October, 2013, in this interview he speaks more about the aim and the expectation of the conference.
The forthcoming West Africa Youth Conference, what is it all about?
The West Africa Youth Conference is an emanation of the Africa Youth Conference held in Maputo, Mozambique in December 10th – 14th, 2012 with the sole purpose of implementing the Africa Youth Charter and the Africa Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance aimed at fostering the democratization of Africa and West Africa. Nigeria has the hosting right of this first edition of the West Africa Youth Conference at the level of the Africa Youth Conference
In cooperation with other Organizations across Africa and West Africa, It is committed to building free and just societies through a culture of life in Youth that will change the political Structure of our State. That culture affirms the inalienable dignity of the person, defends the intrinsic right to life, nurtures the family, and fosters a social climate favorable to integral development, solidarity, involvement in the Democratic, Political Policies and mutual respect.
This years’ conference would bring together over 200 influential young leaders from all over West African. This young people are people who are making a difference within their communities, establishments and institutions. These young people are the face of the new West Africa that is been created by individuals and groups that have decided that West Africa must work. These bright minds will be coming together at the conference to set an agenda for the nations and would also push for a paradigm shift in the values and attitudinal posture and orientation of West Africana towards governance.
The participants expected for the conference will be young professionals between the ages of 18–35 who have shown prospective leadership potential in their chosen professions. These professionals must have already made recognizable impact in their areas of endeavor. The individual would be from West Africa, must believe in West Africa and the desire to create a transformed and better West Africa. They have been selected via two screening processes which the selection subcommittee overseen.
What is the aim of the youth conference?
I have had the opportunity to be with His Excellency, President Pedro Pires, former President of Cape Verde and winner of $5 million Ibrahim Prize for Governance Award, making him the first President in West Africa to have won that Award in decade and he said, the greatest task before the people of Africa is to raise good leaders and leaders for good. So, the ultimate aim of the West Africa Youth Conference is to create a national network of peace advocacy for good Governance, youth participation in political governance and volunteers who will help forge a more peaceful nation.
At the end of the conference, participants will be inducted into the West Africa Youth Conference hall of West Africa Youth Ambassadors as they will swear an oath of conduct that will inspire them to effect the change needed in the West African Governance in their Country. Each person will be expected to influence at least 1,000 other people in their circle of influence. The conference will also adopt the ten values of a true West Africa as we engender a paradigm shift which will bring about a new mindset and value re-orientation that celebrates integrity, vision, sacrifice, service and selflessness.
What is the mission for the conference?
The mission is to create a sense of unit, common agenda and commitment between young Africa leaders in the fight to promote good governance, transparency and accountability in order to transform the youth into a bright majority that constitutes a vibrant power in Africa and to help mold the current teeming youth population into peace ambassadors and advocates. This is against the backdrop of heightened ethnic saliency, contradictions, unbridled violence and insurgency in our clime.
What should the participants and Africans be expecting?
A lot, the conference will provide the opportunity for Youths drawn from various Youth platforms of West Africa countries to discuss the successes and nuances of West Africa Governance and a way pushing for the full implementation of the Africa Youth Charter, and also to commemorate the 38 years of the Economic Community of West African States and the 14 years of peace in Nigeria Democracy, reflecting on the best practices of Governance and the lessons we can take out of these scenarios. Similarly, it is urgent to transform youth from problems to solutions and reflect on the challenges of dissemination and implementation proposed by the African Youth Charter and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, aimed at fostering the democratization of West Africa Countries. This Conference push for the establishment of the ECOWAS Youth Commission and the West Africa Agricultural Center in two Countries in the region to fight the increase unemployment. This event will also help participants imbibe practical knowledge of how to develop and implement initiatives which will also include social entrepreneurship programmes that foster peace such as conflict resolution, entrepreneurship, mentoring and civil rights.
Do you have challenges so far?
Well, the challenges we face as nations’ are evidently that of failure of leadership at all levels. Go back to history the Leaders whom we refers and love are those leaders who inspire us are those who put their people’s interest first before own men and women who saw no borders in what is possible in moving our nations forward that the truth character of pervasiveness, that’s how you measure the success of a leader, our responsibility must go as far as holding this very leaders accountable demanding from them transparency and accountability that we desire and if we do not pay these attentions to the decision made by our leaders and fail to educate ourselves that becomes the major destruction of the day, when we chose not to make our voice head and our opinions are silent, that is when our democracy breakdown, that’s is when power is abuse, that is when the most extreme voices in our society fail to voice and that’s when greed and corruption with the negative things happening in our society are being done by our leaders. This challenge has eaten deep into all facets of our national life and I believe that the time has come to proffer solution rather than criticizing. In light of the situation that we find ourselves as nations, we cannot afford to underestimate the importance and strategic place for this conference, therefore, I urge every individual, organization and establishment that is passionate about West Africa to be involved in this process. Sponsorship for this noble cause is needed because the development of West Africa is left to us and everyone should support and sponsor this worthy cause. Let us contribute our quota to making our countries great. As aptly said by the great President J.F Kennedy “Think not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country”. Already, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, after endorsing the programme had not make any financial contribution to the event after several letters that have being written to them, The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Students Matters, Comrade Imagwe Gabriel Jude (MON) after many months also inform us that he has not gotten a reply from the Federal Government. It will shuck you those things the Federal Government is supposed to give lasting ears to don’t see the light of the Day because we don’t have God Fathers. However the event is coming to light based on private institutions that have seen the important of what we are doing and the need to support the event like UNDP, YoungStar Development Initiatives, Arewa Student Forum, Arewa Citizens Action for Change, Arewa Youth Development Foundation, Red Media and African Focus for Youth Development among others.
Expected dignitaries at the Conference?
The Conference you know is a regional Conference and at the regional level we have a Chairman of all President’s in the Region who is the President of Ivory Coast, President Alassane Quattara as the Chairman of the event, our President, Governors of Benue and Delta State, we have the Honourable Minister of Liberia, Hon. Eugene Lenn Nagbe and the Honourable Minister of Youth Presidency of South Africa, Dr. Bernince Hlagala, Minister of Youth Nigeria among others to be at the event.
Where and when would the conference take place?
It will take place in Abuja, at the Women Development Center on October 21st to 25th, 2013. This conference is being organized by the Nigeria Youth Parliament, National Youth Council of Nigeria and Junicom Consult
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