Vice President Jeremiah Kpang Koung has stressed the need to initiate a paradigm shift in how young people participate in politics and democratic processes for a transformed Africa.
Addressing Cohort 11 of the Young Political Leadership School Africa on Monday, August 12th, 2024, Vice President Koung called for refinement of African politics and emphasized the need for leaders to be accountable to the people.
He said Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with 60% of its 1.3 billion population under the age of 25, recognizing its demographic advantage, but added that it is the caliber of young people that will shape the future development of the continent and its people.
Koung urged African youth to seize the opportunity presented by this intergenerational leadership development cohort and cultivate a sense of responsibility towards achieving the Africa all hope for.
The Liberian Vice President said that every generation has its unique challenges; generations before carried the burdens of the liberation struggle and called for a united Africa. Therefore, this present generation must now ensure economic independence by promoting intra-African trade, creating an environment conducive to investment, and empowering young people to provide transformational leadership.
“This year’s theme, ‘Empower the Future: African Youth Leaders for Sustainable Development, Peace, and Security,’ is a call to action. Young people must be active participants in political governance and decision-making processes. Any society that neglects to harness the strength and emerging potential of its youth is doomed to fail. My mission today is to change the narrative that young people are only needed for political campaigns and rallies,” Vice President Koung said.
He said the numerical strength of Africa’s youth is an asset, and “we must initiate a paradigm shift in how our youth participate in politics and democratic processes for a transformed Africa. They must be included at the decision-making table, offering ideas on governance, sustainable development, accountability, peace, and security.”
However, Koung said this transformation requires equipping them with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to maximize their greatest potentials as emerging leaders.
To empower African youth leaders for sustainable development, peace, justice and security, the vice president called for a collective responsibility to nurture them with the right attitude and mindset for transformative leadership, saying “Our youth must rise to the occasion, understanding that they symbolize the strength and hope of our continent.”
“It is well-known that many of our young people have lost hope in Africa’s future. Many continue to risk their lives in dangerous journeys to seek greener pastures in Europe and other places. Some have turned to violence as a means of survival, while others believe that Africa is a place where dreams and potentials are suppressed,” Koung said.
He attributed this unfortunate reality to the prolonged failure of successive political leaderships across the continent and governments inability to address the socio-economic challenges faced by young people.
However, he said while it is true that governments must create a conducive environment for everyone to thrive, the youth must also have the courage to prepare themselves and offer solutions to the challenges ahead. “If the government can’t, you must,” he said.
Koung said youth represent the energy, lifeblood, and future of Africa and must rise to the occasion to preserve it; something he noted is now an urgent matter that we sanitize our politics so that our leaders understand that public service is not a means for personal wealth creation but a call to serve humanity.
He said Africa’s youth will be stronger when they, as leaders, instill the belief that their welfare is the driving force behind their service.
