[ 2012-08-13 ]

Using the youth for political violence must stop - AASU
The continental student organization, the
All-Africa Students' Union, has challenged African
government to desist from using young people for
mischievous partisan political activities.

The Union says African governments should instead,
positively engage the youth in the search for a
lasting solution to debilitating problems such as
extreme poverty and hunger, HIV/AIDs, Malaria and
other diseases plaguing the people of Africa.

Addressing a roundtable media conference to mark
this year's International Students' Day which fell
on August 12, the newly elected Secretary-General
of AASU, Mr Fred Awaah, said the hunger and
starvation currently ravaging Somalia and other
countries was a collective stain on the conscience
of African leaders.

He said if African governments partnered with the
youth in a constructive manner, enough food could
be produced to feed the people.

Mr Awaah said the exploitation of the energies and
exuberance of the youth for dishonourable
political purposes must cease.

Read below the full statement presented by the
AASU Secretary-General.


INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY PRESS STATEMENT

The students' fraternity of Africa, friends from
the media, ladies and gentlemen, all protocols
dully observed; it is with a heavy heart that our
union marks this year's International Youth Day at
a time we are mourning the demise of one of the
icons of democracy on our continent; H.E. John
Evans Fiifi Atta Mills. As students of Africa, we
sorrowfully convey our utmost condolence to the
late President's family, the people of Ghana and
the continent at large.

We also congratulate H.E. John Dramani Mahama and
H.E. Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur for their ascension
to the seats of the President and Vice President
of Ghana respectively.

The International Youth Day is celebrated on
August 12 each year to recognize efforts of the
world's youth in enhancing global society. It also
aims to promote ways to engage the youth in
becoming more actively involved in making positive
contributions to their communities.

The All Africa Students Union (AASU) sees the
opportunity of the theme of this year's
celebration which is “Building a Better World:
Partnering with Youth” as a way of making thorough
evaluation of the present state of youth
development across the globe particularly in
Africa bearing in mind that Africa is presently
faced with the challenges of Access to quality and
affordable Education and meaningful Employment for
her citizens. Our focus as we mark the
International Youth Day is to objectively analyze
the partnership of governments across the
continent with the youth towards achieving a self
sustaining continent under the topic The Role Of
The Youth In The Achievement Of The Millennium
Development Goals.

Since the year 2000, 191 countries around the
globe met at the UN and decided to curb some six
and later 8 global challenges (millennium
development goals) by the year 2015. These are:

a. eradicate extreme hunger and poverty
b. achieve universal primary education
c. promote gender equality and empower women,
d. reduce child mortality,
e. improve maternal health,
f. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other disease,
g. Ensure environmental sustainability
h. Develop a global partnership for developments.

As a student union, we are determined to partner
with governments and development partners across
the globe to contribute our quota to curbing these
menaces.

Indeed in the area o f eradicating extreme hunger
and poverty, it is our desire to partner with
governments across the continent of Africa to find
sustainable solutions in the area of food
production and security. This we are sure, will
not only solve the issue of food security
domestically, but will also ensure employment for
the teaming unemployed youth across the continent
and also enhance improved food production for the
international market. This will give such
countries enough foreign exchange to carter for
other sectors of their economies.

As the continental mouth piece of students on the
continent, our role as partners with governments
and development agents in the achievement of
universal basic education by 2015, cannot be over
emphasized. With our constituents largely being
students, we are sure that, with improved
collaboration, we are better placed to suggest and
make inputs into the quality of universal
education expected, not only for our continent but
the world at large. Indeed, it is worth noting
that, as it stands now a number of countries on
the continent have children of school going age
not being in school despite efforts at
implementing the universal basic education by such
countries.

Operating in a male dominated continent, one key
area of concern to the union is further advocacy
in the area of promoting gender equality and
empowers women. It is therefore not surprising
that, in the just ended congress of the union,
congress resolved that, in all processes including
appointments in the union, gender must be given
key attention. We on this note call on governments
and development partners across the globe to put
emphasis on girl child education in order to have
female literacy rate increasing by the years.

Combat HIV/AIDS has been one key research area of
the union. As we mark this day, we call on all
governments across the continent and beyond to
inculcate in their academic curriculum, sex
education and for that matter safe sex practices
right from basic schools to the universities.
Indeed, as youth, we also have a responsibility to
embrace behavioral change in the area of sex, in
order to curb the menace on our continent and
beyond. Although a number of countries have
adopted the Abstinence, Being Faithful and Condom
use a model of curbing the menace, we maintain the
view that, formal classroom training on the
subject will be a plus to the existing models.

We specifically urge all African governments to
involve the youth in policy making decision in the
respective countries. These they can do by
designating a specific quota of seats in
parliament, cabinet, and other key decision making
bodies to the youth in order to contribute and
unearth their skills, knowledge and attitudes
towards the developments of such countries.

We also use the opportunity to urge the youth of
our continent to be innovative, creative and not
only wait for limited white collar jobs. In line
with these, we further encourage the youth to get
involved in policy making, embrace behavioral
change, get involved in agriculture since Africa
is and aggregation economy, be entrepreneurial,
engage in voluntary work and make it a personal
duty to sensitize each other on matters of
HIV/AIDS.

It is therefore our determination to work with
other relevant Students and youth movement as well
as governments and development partners across the
globe to ensure that Education and Youth
employment is given a topmost priority while the
Rights of Students are not in any way desecrated.

We hereby want to admonish government and all
stakeholders to critically explore the theme of
this year's International Youth Day in realizing
the gains in the partnership with the teeming
youth population most importantly at this crucial
moment that our continent is yearning for an
accelerated development in all strata of life. We
are convinced in the potentials of our youth
towards a meaningful development of our
continent.

Finally, we should consider this year's
International Youth Day as another opportunity to
stand up for the Rights of African Youth than a
mere commemoration

In Students' Solidarity

AWAAH FRED
SECRETARY GENERAL (HEAD OF MISSION)
ALL AFRICA STUDENTS UNION

Source - MyjoyOnline

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