TRAINING OUR YOUTHS

Jul 27, 2018 Editorial

There continues to be a discernible high level of frustration and anger among youths in this country, especially the uneducated, poor and jobless. Too many are committing crimes in order to survive. This is evident in our daily newspapers and other media outlets. Others have been promised employment, only to realize that they have essentially been fooled by the power brokers who have now gotten what they want and have changed course.
While some youths have vented their frustration toward society, others are striving to achieve political leadership against all odds. This is commendable, given that a large number of them voted in the last elections. Despite the fact that youths are the majority in the country, only a few are in positions in the government and decision-making structures such as the cabinet and Parliament. This is a far cry from what was promised to them during the election campaign.
Having political ambitions is all well and good for youths, but there is cause for concern as regards to how they will be groomed. There is real fear that they will be schooled in the same old partisan, divisive, racial and vindictive politics that will ultimately see them mirroring the politicians whom they would replace. The fear becomes worse because none of the political parties in the country have any real formal systems or mechanisms in place to train youths.
Youths are needed on the political scene, but they must be taken seriously by the leaders of the main political parties. Their beliefs and aspirations to become leaders must be guided by the principles of democracy. They should not subject themselves to the autocracy of their respective parties’ hierarchy.
However, it is known that in recent times most youths are not always willing to toe the party line or engage in rabid partisan dialogue, because they have witnessed or believe that partisan politics has stifled the development of Guyana over the past 50 years. They want to be holistic leaders who will move the country away from the tunnel vision that would have existed in the past. Therefore, ample training by the established parties would perhaps provide the right balance for real and genuine political leadership that is needed to develop the economy and unite the country. It would provide the ideal opportunity for youths to practice politics without biased overtures.
Partisan politics is also at the root of much of the economic and social disparities between the rich and the poor as well as in the education system. It has created a dysfunctional society. Most of the politicians today were taught to practice partisan and racial politics, to the detriment of society. This is evident in most government departments and agencies, many of which are staffed with personnel from the party in power. Partisan politics is destructive to society, in the sense that it has unsettled stability.
There are no laws to prohibit anyone from having political affiliations or from practicing or being engaged in partisan politics. However, it would be in the best interest of the country for all political parties and civil society groups to begin the dialogue to transform the political system into a non-partisan structure. The leaders of the two main political parties should refrain from practicing partisan politics in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. They should start the process of schooling the young politicians in the art of non-partisan political strategies and equip them with the tools for effective and visionary leadership to transform the country. This should be the minimum standard.

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