A Simple Way To A Promising Future: Youths In Governance

In our family setups when a child reach teenage hood is introduced to a number of family secrets and taught some life skill as he/she grows, so that when he/she is dependent will know his/her history, where life is coming from and where it would be going; will actually know the right tools to use in special situations. That is what a responsible father or mother teaches a son or daughter. If a child is not taught his or her history and life skills then comes a problem. After childhood that person will have to start looking for information about his or her family and begin to acquire life skills for survival, something that could have been acquired earlier.

The same applies with our countries as well; those in power are our parents and should incapacitate the young people with the knowledge of running countries in the future, for there are the future that the current leaders claim to be preparing for. Countries especially from Africa roam around the world looking for debts claiming that they are securing the future, of which they do not bring the children on the drawing table. That action only ignites a lot of questions in the laymen’s heads like, Is this for the future? Is there any transparency? If there is, then why are we being sidelined and why is it like a secret? Do they need the future leaders to suffer a lot on planning like they are forming new nations or struggle to pay debts not knowing the use of the borrowed money? It is primitive that mentality that made the political arena a hub for the old, are they the only ones with the brains?

The difference in eras and generations also different types of problems as well, thus a different type of advocacy that befits the needs of the majority on the ground, not the same old stories in parliaments and local authorities’ chambers. Have you ever brown studied how the young generation vitalise internet and the way the old generation trivialise it, a contrast in views due to generational gap and that has to be addressed. The youths are the majority of the population wherever you go and there should be a voice for the majority.

The future national torch bearers right now should be taught how to lit the torch and to hold it as well. There are the future and anything for the future without the future is not for the future, for the young people are the future. How can a doctor prescribe medicine without seeing the patient, an act of stupor huh? Governments should include the youths in their planning so as to allow continuity of system and governance. The absence of continuation usually makes development slow in most aspects, and this system should be adopted by our current governments. It’s high time Africa do away with leaders who run a four-men relay by themselves, because the moment they don’t the baton the next runner will have to wait for another race, thus loosing energy in re-running a race.

Let it be known to the world that youths participation is now the way to go, it is the organised way of running a nation and it crystal clearly vivify the principles of democracy. Youths in governance should now be not only on the mouth but even in the mind of any progressive global citizen who cares about his or her people and the future. Absence of the knowledge of running state affairs among youths usually leads to poor future leaders especially dictators, there guaranteeing the existence of corruption, nepotism and all sorts of bad governance one may think of, in the future.

©Poseidon Tsautsau is a poet, author and a young leader. He is a member of African Union Youth Parliament, is also chairperson of the leadership committee at Planet Shakers Zimbabwe, an organization that seeks to change the world through leadership and civic education, motivation, spiritual knowledge, career guidance e.t.c .. He is also the founding editor in chief of The Cub Magazine a local digital magazine for youths in Zimbabwe. He can be reached at [email protected]