Wide spread public opinion holds that every country, nation or organized group of people will want to adopt the democratic model, in some cases claim to have adopted it.
The readiness to acknowledge that the birth of each new democracy may be the result of a different combination of factors has permitted researchers to give attention to the important role often played by specific kinds of actors in the process; one of which is of priority concern in this work is the role of youths in constructing democracy in a transitional polity.
Democracy often means many things to many people but the central concerns of democracy since 1945 has been the peoples right to freely determine their own destiny. The extent to which youths are involved in deciding on the future of their societies either directly or indirectly has a tremendous impact on the level of cooperation and leadership they will provide in building that society’s democracy on principles such as;
Freedom of Expression, Belief and Association
Free, Fair and Competitive Elections
Political Participation
Good Governance
Gender Equality
Due Process of Law
Respect for the Inalienable Rights of Individuals
Free Communications Media
Equitable Distribution of State resources and Opportunities.
The establishment of systems where democratic principles abound and are upheld requires a civil society where the youths are predominantly the catalyst of a socio- political and economic culture attuned to democracy, liberty and freedom.
It befits to emphasize that democracy does not fall from heaven; it has to be brought about by individuals, groups and social actors who fight for it.
Those who can bring about freedom where it is absent and justice where it is denied are chiefly young people. Freedom and justice is a patient and often-difficult struggle that requires the strength, sacrifice, rigor and fortitude of young people to be attained.
Often times the youth force retreat to dormancy and apathy for lack of perspective and coordination.
In this frustration the youth force is hijacked and brought into conflict by belligerent, insurgent and other terrorist war lords either to resist possible democratic transition or to meet their deadly goals.
Looking at civil and political crises in Congo, Liberia, Angola, Rwanda, Somalia, Sierra- Leone, Shrilanka and Sudan we find the effective, forceful and brutal presence of youths playing central roles, as fighters or victims.
In Sierra- Leone for example it is reported that almost all the warring groups extensively recruited child soldiers- the Sierra- Leone Army ( SLA), the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), and the Kamajors/ Civil Defense Forces ( CDF).
Civil conflicts could be reduced in many places, for instance in Ivory Coast and Sudan, if sufficient attention and resources are deployed to provide coordination, leadership and perspective to youths in these countries.
The period of democratic transition is often a very fragile period in a country’s political construction, which usually if not properly managed and protected could slide to endless civil and political unrest.
To protect the fragility of democratic transition in infant democracies it is paramount for youths to play two key roles;
1) Setting up and Fortifying Youth Structures, that will be able to provide democratic perspective, foresight, education and empowerment to the youth population. So as to protect it from sheepishly sliding into the dead trap of rebel factions and recruitment by war-lords who may want to frustrate the political evolution of that country.
2) Mounting a Coordinated Youth Front by Youths to provide a coordinated youth action and organized youth participation. To ensure that youths are visible involved in the building/construction of democracy during and after the transition. Dialogue, trust and collaboration are what underpin democracy. Therefore a youth front can serve as a provider of that kind of relationship required to create an enabling environment where both government and the civil society can interact and operate well.
If the youth force, energy, dynamism and rigor is not harnessed and brought into desired perspective during democratic transitions a situation risk occurring where the
" youth power" is taken hold of by anti democratic groups and rival factions to drive the society back into to totalitarianism and anarchy.
Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Gray Panthers assert that
"The individual can make a difference in politics, sometimes by organizing others".
Consider that, a Sudanese student standing strong and firm against the advancement of a tank containing solders ordered to crush a demonstration he and his fellows have organized may attract the world’s amazed respect and sympathy and thereby give courage to those who are determined to carry on the battle for democracy.
An Iraqis journalist may persist in telling the world of her government’s repressive acts even after she herself is imprisoned and tortured and thus force changes in that nations way of dealing with political dissent.
According to Kay Lawson,
"Even in today’s densely populated and increasingly complex world, the individual retains the capacity for meaningful political action."
It is in the interest of youths, to be active in national and international politics and also in protecting democracy and civilization.
It is insufficient that the state controls its citizens; the citizens must control both the state and themselves. Youths are valuable tools to safeguard against violation of basic human rights and government excesses if youths could take up their responsibilities and play their role as political actors during and after the transition process of their infant democracies.
Too long we have allowed politicians to judge us as not being fit for democracy because of our dormancy and political apathy. Yet it is understood that youths become fit for democracy through democracy.
The participation of youths in the process of democracy is urgent and inevitable form coast to coast in recent times. According to John W. Forje
" The current passivity of civil society has to be addressed. Civil society must become vibrant and act as the best custodian of democracy. Partnership between the civil society and the state must be established to create a sustainable and forward moving society. The impetus for political renewal and resistances towards authoritarian domination in Africa is coming form the civil society"
In a youth politicized society the idiosyncrasy is that it produces a civil society with a much stronger sense of political efficacy.
An instance of this was in Cameroon in the 1990s, where caught up with the wide spread information on multiparty politics youth put up a coordinated front in support for the launching of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), main opposition party in the country. Presumably the presence of multi party politics has led to some degree of freedom and liberty in that country.
Even in systems where the decision making power of the legislative is weak or nonexistence, an organized youth structure and a coordinated youth front can mount sufficient pressure on the government to democratize.
Providing Intermediary Political Link
To push through the democratic culture youths can take up the challenge of establishing a political link or cord, linking the local population with other stakeholders during the process of democratic transition.
To safeguard against blind political participation and manipulation by incumbent government. This link should be put in place to correctly educate the local population on what democracy is and what democracy intrinsically guarantees. By this action citizens will be able not only to participate but also to judge and monitor the development of their country’s democracy.
Incumbent governments will always fight to tailor the transition process to their favor by centralizing the process and other democratic activities. To undermine such instances of political monopoly youths should be empowered to take democracy further inland in their societies.
This effort will be to secure that each and every citizen is informed and educated on the principles of democracy.
It is in the absence of such exercises that most insurgencies make the hinterlands and remote communities their strongholds. Where they understand the local community has virtually little or no knowledge about democracy and its benefits.
To have any chance at all for peace and non violence in societies that are just about embracing the culture of democracy, young people in these societies have to carry both the literature and principle of democracy along side their government to their peripheral communities, villages or hamlets and refugee camps. And courageous expose them to it.
Perhaps the peripheral communities or hamlets will have a second chance to substitute thoughts about violence for peace and dialogue.
Colman McCarthy (1999: C04) explained that
“ Violence is not only physically attacking others but is also leaving the poor unassisted, allowing racism to flourish and imprisonment to those who are most in need of assistance”.
Supporting the Exercise of their Rights and Freedom
Nelson Mandela while hiding underground on 26 June 1961 made a statement that;
“ No power on earth can stop an oppressed people determined to win freedom {yet} …only through hardship, sacrifice and militant action can freedom be won…for my own part I have made my choice. I will not leave South Africa, nor will I surrender…I will continue fighting for freedom until the end of my days”
Freedom of expression is the cornerstone of democracy. The exercise of our rights and freedom unflinchingly, is what checks and balances government in a democracy.
The paramount task to defend these rights and freedom resides with the youths who most often constitute the larges in terms of numbers and percentage.
Democracy has two ends. On one end are rights and on the other end is justice. For the two ends to come to play in a polity a dynamic group must emerge to perform two tasks.
The first, to defend these rights and the second to bring justice to those who do harm to others in the process of democracy.
The participation of youths is required in infant democracies if they hope to push back totalitarianism, anarchy and tyranny. The passivity of youths in sub Saharan Africa with regards to their political participation, and their submissive involvement with regards to rebellion and civil unrest is not a healthy sign to the future of these countries.
The challenges today are enormous. Youths have to stand out against usurpation, constitutional violations, political persecution, eternalize leadership, corruption, human rights abuse, electoral fraud, the recruitment of child soldiers and the violation of our freedom of expression, association and belief.
We have to put up a front that will declare our stand on these issues to the world. We also have to provide the leadership and involvement required to control both the government and our selves in a civilized democracy.
The year 2000 is a critical moment in the history of what youth ability can do and achieve.
Margaret Mead has said;
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has”
Let us deceased form singing the songs of our leaders` mistakes and weaknesses of the past, on all and every side. Our duty now is to the future. I believe we have to appreciate what advantages democracy can offer us now, and in the future to a point where we would be able to defend it with our lives. Although force to prevent freedom and to deny rights is not more moral than force to gain freedom and to secure rights.
We must remain loyal to the principles of democracy, overcome contradictions and firmly defend the rights of youths while remaining open and ready for dialogue with our elected legislative body.
The responsibility of constructing true democracy in our communities, rest on the shoulders of youths. The duty will be lighter if we exchange ideas and information, share resources and take advantage of modern telecommunications.
This joint venture could open many doors for future cooperation and help, to youths recovering form civil strife and political conflicts like Somalia, Liberia, Bosnia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Angola, Ivory Coast, Iraq, Israel, Palestine and even Sudan; to understand that despite the enormous political and cultural differences, there are many youths all around the world working for one goal: realizing the dream of democracy in transitional polities around the world.
Finally, I will love to put up the shutters of this work with an astute statement made by the Secretary General of the United Nations- Koffi Anna on the fiftieth anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights delivered on 10 December 1997, at the university of Tehran;
“ My dear young friends, here in this hall and all over the world, the ideals of human rights are the ideals of hope and humanity.
Your idealism inspires your faith in our common future, and your determination to make it more just and more merciful than the past.
It is for you to realize these rights, now and for all time.
Human rights are your rights. Seize them. Defend them. Protect them. Understand them and insist on them. Nourish and enrich them.
They are the true reflection of humanity’s highest aspirations. They are the best in us. Give them live”.
*Program Coordinator Youth Activities,
Social and Economic Development Research Officer
Adviser on (Youth Issues) to Hon. Victoria T. Ndando
Global Network for Good Governance Cameroon
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