The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) has called on politicians, duty bearers and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to ensure that youth development priorities are captured in the Medium-Term Development Plans (MTDP) and Annual Action Plans (AAP) of district assemblies.
The call was made at the launch of maiden Ghana Youth Manifesto in Accra. The youth manifesto is a representation of the voices of young people thus their views, perspectives, challenges and needs on contemporary youth development issues. It aims at influencing policy direction of political leaders, the private sector, civil society organizations and all other stakeholders in the development process
In a message to the participants FOSDA representative noted that, the youth constitute over 10million (over a third of Ghana’s population) and 9.1% of eligible voters between age 18-19 alone. This means that the voice of the youth is critical in the development process, and if they share their challenges and leaders don’t listen, it means they are being laid aside completely in development planning.
He further noted that for development to meet the hopes and aspirations of the youth, it must for the bases of development planning at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies since they are responsible for largely implementing the national development agenda.
Development partners such as OXFAM, Plan International, Girls Advocacy and FOSDA supported the process that led to the development of the Youth Manifesto. Youth Advocates Ghana (YAG), an Nsawam based youth-led CSO was at the forefront of youth consultations to develop the manifesto.
The manifesto provides understanding of the everyday challenges and realities of a young person in Ghana which can serve as a starting point to design concrete action plans and programmes for inclusive national development. This can only be achieved through collective action, not just by the government but all stakeholders to make a difference.