For too long youths have refused to become active forces and voices in politics

Nov 07, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
We have just about eight weeks left in 2010. Soon 2011 will be upon us, hopefully bringing with it the next general elections. Time is not a luxury for the opposition to enjoy.
With every passing day, more serious efforts must be taken by the opposition to ensure that they identify their constituents and initiate preliminary communications aimed at sensitizing and stimulating the minds of those persons who comprise particular constituencies.
One key constituent that is in dire need of attention is the Guyanese youth. For too long they have refused to become active forces and voices in politics, thus demonstrating their political worthiness. While a few feeble voices might be heard now and then, there is no identifiable youth coalition movement that speaks to political issues.
The refusal of youths to become seriously involved in politics might be argued along the lines of them being disenchanted when they realise that there exist no beneficial policies for them. They can further argue that the barren economic environment that exists in Guyana is unable to gainfully utilize their education and skills resulting in many fleeing to more fertile economic zones. Youth can also argue that they are never taken seriously by politicians whenever they voice their concerns.
The reasons for the lethargic political involvement of Guyanese youth are many, but at some point politicians need to take youth seriously. The youth must be given a forum to voice their opinions and ideas.
Also, if voter turnout is to increase at the next election, then serious attention must be placed on enlightening the youth about the many virtues of actively participating in the electoral process.
We must remember that in order for democracy to be effective people need to participate. And if a large percentage of the people being youths do not participate in the establishment of democracy, then democracy will fail.
The opposition has a golden opportunity to target Guyanese youths so to ensure that the change Guyana so badly needs is engineered by youths.
The opposition need to craft strategic economic, educational and political policies that places major emphasis on the future of the country; the Guyanese youths! Youths also need to feel that their vote can make a difference.
Mobilizing young people to become more involved in political processes must be high on the agenda of opposition parties. One very easy political process in which young people can make a difference is by turning out on Election Day and voting for change.
As such, political representatives need to reach out to the Guyanese youths and ensure they are registered and that they vote.
GECOM’s voter education programme cannot be the sole engine for voter education messages. A number of other tactical behavioural change communications initiatives must be utilized especially by the opposition to have youths become engaged in the election process.
Because of the limitations of a letter column, I will only provide two simple but powerful ways in which voter education messages can reach the Guyanese youths and equip them with the necessary political knowledge and skills to effectively participate in the electoral process.
The first is by utilizing Short Messaging Services (SMS) by the cellular phone providers and sponsor concise text messages about voter registration and other pertinent issues concerning voter education.
Another powerful way to encourage increased participation by youths in the electoral process is by using interpersonal communication via the peer-to-peer mode.
Donald P. Green and Alan Gerber in their book entitled, Get out and vote: How to increase voter turnout, (2nd Ed) 2008, have shown that peer-to-peer personal contact can potentially affect turnout by five to 10 percentage points among registered voters.
They further pointed out that when young people do register with a peer, they’re 62 percent likely to vote.
Young people in Guyana have been given 18 years of PPP/C rule. They have grown up in the so-called ‘new era’ of democracy’.
They have seen the corruption, crime, marginalization, uneven hand of justice, the common law relationship of politicians and drug lords. They have witnessed the ubiquitous unemployment.
They have seen incompetence, race and political affiliation used on CVs to catapult persons into positions in which they are unable to function effectively.
Young people must vote for change. But the only way that would happen is if the opposition starts taking young people seriously!
Richard Francois

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