Accra — A society that cuts off from its youth severs its lifeline." Kofi Annan quotes (Ghanaian diplomat, seventh secretary-general of the United Nations)
It was an interesting topic to discuss when it came to whether there was in existence a national youth policy for Ghana or not at the youth stakeholders’ forum organized by the youth bridge foundation and the Centre for Democratic Development. Representatives from Federation of Youth Association of Ghana (FEDYAG) were advocating that there is a national youth policy which was signed at the very last moment of the previous government.
It was at this meeting that a general idea was broadly shared by the representatives from FEDYAG on how the existing youth policy was drafted and finally signed by the previous government. It gave many young activists the opportunity to share their sentiments and worry on the way various governments over the years had handled the issue of a national youth policy of the country and the need for a strong advocacy for this dream to be realized.
Over and over again youth activists have heard various stories being built around the formation and implementation of the national youth policy. From the youth policy being rejected from parliament for lack of an action plan to the current review being done without a youth minister, one will wonder if this document will ever see light.
The national youth policy for Ghana is long over due. Many African countries like Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya are currently in a state of reviewing their youth policies to which they have worked with for some years now. At a workshop in Addis Ababa to share, strengthen and evaluate the youth policies of Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda with emphasis on discussing lessons learned and addressing obstacles to achieving desired outcomes of the governments involved, Ghana had nothing to share but a draft policy and the national youth employment program in 2007.
There is no time better...