Say Young People’s Lives Must Be Improved
PHOTO: Youth leaders representing ALCOP, CPP and CDC
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
Youth leaders from three political parties in Liberia have spoken of the need to prioritize job creation for the benefit of thousands of youths throughout the country who desperately need employment.
They raised the concern during deliberations on parties’ desires to provide employment to young people and outlined plans for the 100 days for empowering young people and improving their lives, as the October 10 presidential and legislative elections draw nearer.
The three youth leaders are James Morris, Chairman of the Youth Wing of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP); Austin Toe, Chairman of the Youth League of the All Liberian Coalition Party (ALCOP), and Mohamed Sy from the youth congress of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
The three youth leaders expressed their concerns about the need to provide employment for young people and the need to include this in their respective parties’ plans during a one-day dialogue on non electoral violence organized by the Book Before Boys in Monrovia recently.
Speaking during the dialogue, CPP’s Youth leader, James Morris, disclosed that his political leader being a man from the cooperate back ground hopes to allot about 20 million United States Dollars for the introduction of youths into businesses and the strengthening of middle class entities in order to employ young people.
Commenting on the issue of electoral violence, Mr. Morris said the CPP is a signatory to the Farmington River Agreement and the youth wing subscribed to deal penned by the collaboration chairman and political leader.
For his part, Austin Toe said the ALCOP-led government will endeavor to work through community-based organizations in order to provide the necessary vocation training skill for the unskilled youths for self- employment.
A cross of youths and students from schools in Monrovia and its environs
On the issue of pre and post electoral violence, Mr. Toe maintained that he will insist on dialoging as a means of seeking redress on issue that are unclear and promised to never use violence as a spring board to achieve political gains.
As for Mohamed Sy, who represented the Youth league of the CDC, who received most of questions from the audience, claimed that in the first term, the CDC-led government as a part to reduce poverty, introduced free education at all universities.
On the issue of electoral violence, Mr. Sy reiterated the coalition’s non violence policy and warning from President George Weah who also the standard bearer on the maintenance of free, fair and inclusive elections.
Earlier in remarks, the Country Director of the Book Before Boys, Mustapha Sherman said that the dialogue is intended to inform the students and youths about what are in stock for them, when it comes to the political parties’ manifesto for young people
Remarking at the dialogue, Youth and Sports Minister, Zogar Wilson, welcomed the dialogue among the youths of various political parties because it is healthy for peaceful co-existence and democracy in the country.
The Book Before Book is an organization geared towards the development of teenage girls for leadership, public speaking and academic success.