“DEEPENING ACTIVE YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES IN AFRICA: A PRACTICAL APPROACH FOR 2011 TO 2015”

Democracy is beautiful; it affords the people a bill of rights, a sense of freedom. Democracy affords
us the opportunity to see through the eyes of yesterday’s ideas using thinkers for tomorrow’s
visions. Democracy helps one to give back to the society (doer); the culture of democracy is fast
sweeping across the African soil, and if ours must stand the test of time, African youth must take
active part in the process, because democracy in Europe and America that are standing today had
active youth participation.
When we talk of democracy there are some key elements, like election, African youths must know
that election is not charity, it is a process where key players in management of the democratic
process that would bring growth and development are elected into office, therefore we must know
it is a shared responsibility; also the importance of right information must not be neglected, it will
make a lot difference to our generation. A key ingredient of democratic process is active
participation by all citizens.
Having seen, that democracy affords us the opportunity to serve, that is active participation, and
election a key element that is shared responsibility and we the youth a major players that would
ensure that the process works and is sustained, how then can we deepen our participation?
The first thing we must now is that our level of organization is much more than money, for now
when we say young people should come get involved in the democratic process they think money,
but we must know that nobody can stop an idea that its time has come, the level of knowledge is the
only thing we need that would give us our dream continent. Our thought process must have to
change, Adolph Hitler once said ‘Government are fortunate because followers are not thinking’; we
must begin to think impossibility, innovation, passion because if change must come we must be
passionate about it, integrity towards wealth, action, association; we must begin to think giving,
having a contributing mind set, think community be people oriented not self centered must have
value for time and above think communication.
Another way to take active part is to build ourselves, amount of knowledge available to young
people is the foundation of success, our democracy needs professional, people that have skills,
values to add, not just complaining, the more you read the better you become, our literate level
must rise; we must see that violence is not the way to end bad governance or leadership but
persuasion, negotiation and diplomacy is the key. We must begin to networks, youths they say, must
especially Africans to be selfish, and not willing to share ideas, however with numbers to our
advantage, we must break that jinx.
In conclusion for 2011 to 2015, we must begin to add values to our life’s the error Black youths in
America made in the 60’s and 70’s of going only into entertainment (music/dance/performing arts)
must be avoided, though such professions are nice but it will not bring the needed development, our
values must also change, me must believe in a common wealth, be community centered, formation
of positive coalition making our voices held and then make attempt for elective positions, after
showing the elders that we can be trusted and worthy to be handed over to.