PHOTO: Naymote Executive Director Eddie Jarwolo at a recent conference
Monrovia-The Young Political Leadership School Africa (YPLS Africa) Semester VI is taking place in Monrovia, Liberia at a local Hotel in the Liberian capital from Monday, October 14-18, 2019, according to Naymote, the National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections.
The YPLS Africa is an initiative of Naymote Partners for Democratic Development established in 2016. The overarching goal of YPLS Africa is to contribute to the formation of a new generation of leaders that would transform Africa with the following specific objectives:
Increase the knowledge and skills among young people in planning, organizing, and implementing political events, increase in the number of young people stepping forward to seek political offices at different levels of the governance structures, increase knowledge among young people to strategize the mobilization of other young people to support their peers during political campaign processes and give young African leaders the rudimentary skills to engage in transformational leadership of the continent, a Naymote press release said over the weekend.
The Young Political Leadership School Africa is a political organizing, leadership development and campaign training program for emerging African leaders. Participants in the program are middle-level professionals, college graduates, youth candidates and active youth political leaders aged 18 – 35 years. They have demonstrated a high level of interest in politics, leadership, governance, community service, and who are passionate about transforming their communities to impact lives in Africa.
The program is expected to welcome 75 (40 male and 35 female) emerging leaders from across West Africa to Monrovia. Eddie D. Jarwolo, Originator of the YPLS Africa believe this is the best and innovative way of grooming middle-level professionals into politics and helping them become transformational leaders, especially those who are respected, connected and serving their community to contest and win elections. He said the school needs to be institutionalized with evolving courses that are responsive to the needs of young Africans with interest in seeking elections for political offices. The school will also serve as a platform where young people from across African countries can have the opportunity to share their experiences of participating in political processes and build a network of a new generation of leaders with new aspirations and political values.
“The young political leaders are inspirational for the future hope of Liberia. If you get young people like these into leadership roles in five, ten to fifteen years, you will have a better country,” Jeff Fox, political communicator, and facilitator of semester three YPLS Africa.
Chief, Dr. Jewel Howard Taylor, Vice President, Republic of Liberia, will deliver the keynote address at the opening session. Speakers at the event will include, Dr. Milton Nathaniel Barnes, Former Ambassador of the Republic of Liberia to the United States of America, Dr. Ophelia Inez Weeks, PhD, President, University of Liberia, Dr. Toga Gayewea Mcintosh, Former Foreign Minister of Liberia, Mr. Saah Charles N’Tow, Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Alieu F. Nyei, Former Assistant Minister, Ministry of Finance, Development and Planning, Republic of Liberia and H.E. Babatunde O. Ajesomo, the Special Representative of the President of ECOWAS, Ambassador of ECOWAS to Liberia, etc
The lead facilitator for the training is Prof. Jerry Austin, Former Adjunct Professor and Director of the International Campaign Fellows Program, Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, University of Akron, United States of America. Prof. Jerry Austin is one of America’s most experienced and successful political strategist with over 30 years of practical experience.
Prof. Austin has played leading roles in managing political campaigns across 17 states in the United States including 1980 Campaign Manager Ohio, for President Jimmy Carter, 1982 Campaign Manager, Gov Richard Celeste Ohio, 1988 National Campaign Manager Jesse Jackson for President. He has also served as a Political/ Media consultant for Senators Paul Wellstone, Carol Mosley Braun, Presidential candidate Senator Paul Tsongas and as Advisor- SDLP Northern Ireland, MSZP Hungary, etc.