The youth must contend for their future

Mombasa Students Connect members address a press conference at Mombasa Beach Hotel in Mombasa on May 20, 2017, regarding youth affairs. It is critical for young people to understand that there is negative and positive peace. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Peace, therefore, exists where people are interacting non-violently and are managing their conflict positively.
  • Embracing the right attitudes, mind-sets and preparation, could make the elusive youth transformation a reality.

High unemployment levels among young people represent a ticking time bomb.

We need to very quickly realise that we are in a crisis as a country and this affects young people directly.

POVERTY

The mechanisms that have been put in place are not sufficient to address their specific place in peace and security and responsibilities in economic transformation.

The most unfortunate thing is that majority of these young people live in over-populated and poverty stricken crisis zones.

VIOLENCE

This translates into a huge social progression setback, which deeply affects the ability of young people to fulfil their responsibility as the backbone of human development as well as threatening any sustainable peace-building process.

Young people living in these crisis zones are usually both agents and victims of violence, making them vulnerable to armed or political recruitment and exploitation.

PEACE
It is critical for young people to understand that there is negative and positive peace.

The first is about absence of violence when something undesirable stops happening and the lalter is creation of social systems that serve the needs of the whole population and the constructive resolution of conflict.

Peace, therefore, exists where people are interacting non-violently and are managing their conflict positively with respectful attention to the legitimate needs and interest of all concerned.

YOUTH
Is there hope for youth? Yes there is.

In the last one decade, we have seen policymakers increasingly pay attention to the younger generation and their role in shaping the society, especially with regard to unemployment, capacity building and volunteerism.  

ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The African Union Heads of States has adopted the African Youth Development Fund to the tune of $7 million (Sh727m) to speed up African youth activities with 70 per cent of this amount ring-fenced to finance youth start-up projects.

This has placed great hope in the power of the youth to shape their future in an unprecedented manner.

ECONOMY
What is exciting about this is the possibility of youth creating synergies in the entire of Africa and opportunities to deliberate on issues that are significant to young people making relevant contribution to sustainable development. 

This move has what it takes to change economic trends, fundamentally altering the global landscape. 

CONTRIBUTE

The challenge is to young people. They must be clear about their role in shaping the society both economically and socially and have a national identity. 

This can be done by ensuring young people take center stage in driving discourse around issues affecting them and not being on the receiving end of their own lives. 

PRODUCTIVE
The population of this country is about 80 per cent youth but this alone is nothing to be proud of.

A large number of people who are unproductive is not an asset.

The numbers need to work for them to drive change.

CHANGE

Embracing the right attitudes, mind-sets and preparation, could make the elusive youth transformation a reality.

Ensure this becomes the opportunity when you do something worthy of being penned down in the books of history in terms of making a collective impact on a national and county scale. Over to you Kenyan youth.

Dr Kiambati is a management consultant and a senior lecturer at Karatina University. kellenkiambati@gm ail.com; Dr Kariuki is a social scientist, management consultant and a lecturer at Karatina University. [email protected].