Youth Groups: There Is Urgent Need For Intergenerational Policy And Legal Framework For Ghana

Six youth groups have jointly said there is an urgent need for Intergenerational Policy and Legal Framework for Ghana as part of the International youth day celebration on Friday August 12.

The groups are Youth Alliance for Green Ghana (YAGG); Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM; Youth Climate Council (YCC) &Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO); 350 Ghana Reducing Our Carbon (350GROC); A Rocha Ghana; and Solution Oriented Youth Africa (SOY).

In a statement, they said the youth of today are the future of Ghana and the world.

“We are full of ideas to address the challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and poverty, and to make our world a better place.

“We should be valued as key partners in Ghana’s development. But are we recognised as such? Are we listened to by our leaders from community to the corridors of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary? Do we have a real opportunity to influence the decisions that will impact our lives and our future?

“The youth of today know about climate change and biodiversity loss. We know about the challenges to food and water security, and we are keen to develop green pathways that will address them and secure our futures. Already we are vocal in our communities, raising awareness about critical environmental issues and how to change behaviours to reduce people’s impacts.

“We voice our concerns nationally through youth civil society organisations, demonstrations, talking to the media, and organising trainings and discussions. We are leading change in the business sector by establishing innovative green enterprises to grow organic food, convert coconut shells into charcoal briquettes, recycle plastics into tables and school desks, turn food waste into chicken feed, and so much more. We are helping Ghana to achieve many of her commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals, and her international climate change and biodiversity agreements.”

Below is the full statement…

Today is International Youth Day 2022! On our special day, we celebrate the youth of Ghana, our ingenuity, our positivity, and our hopes for a secure future for all. This year’s theme – Intergenerational Solidarity – recognises the need for us to work together across all age groups to tackle the global issues of our time and achieve equity between successive generations through Intergenerational Solidarity.

The youth of today are the future of Ghana and the world. We are full of ideas to address the challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and poverty, and to make our world a better place.

We should be valued as key partners in Ghana’s development. But are we recognised as such? Are we listened to by our leaders from community to the corridors of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary? Do we have a real opportunity to influence the decisions that will impact our lives and our future?

The youth of today know about climate change and biodiversity loss. We know about the challenges to food and water security, and we are keen to develop green pathways that will address them and secure our futures. Already we are vocal in our communities, raising awareness about critical environmental issues and how to change behaviours to reduce people’s impacts.

We voice our concerns nationally through youth civil society organisations, demonstrations, talking to the media, and organising trainings and discussions. We are leading change in the business sector by establishing innovative green enterprises to grow organic food, convert coconut shells into charcoal briquettes, recycle plastics into tables and school desks, turn food waste into chicken feed, and so much more. We are helping Ghana to achieve many of her commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals, and her international climate change and biodiversity agreements.

But are our voices heard? Are our ideas and innovations impacting on national decision making? Do the concerns of the youth REALLY count? Despite our importance and our contributions, the answers to these are often a resounding ‘NO’. To ensure the youth in Ghana are formally recognised as key partners in Ghana’s development, the undersigned coalition of organisations is using this International Youth Day 2022 to call for a deliberate policy and legal framework that prioritizes the wellbeing of future generations, throughthe elaboration of an Intergenerational Policy and Act for Ghana that will ensure the voices of the youth are accounted for in decisions, policies, plans, and strategies that guide Ghana’s development. We acknowledge the existence of the updated National Policy, but reiterate the need
for a national instrument that places a legal obligation to act in the interest of generations unborn.

It will be a national legal and policy framework that will bring real Intergenerational Solidarity for Ghana by securing the interests of the youth and future generations, as well as current generations of all ages at all times. It will be fully inclusive, non-discriminatory, and promote equality, and above all reduce the risks and burdens that our actions today transfer to future generations.

It will ensure all development projects initiated today are climate-proofed for tomorrow, so they will contribute meaningfully to sustainable equitable development, and not only bring short-term gains. We use the opportunity to invite all youth networks and alliances in Ghana, to join together and vision the future we desire, the Ghana we want to live in as we grow up, the Ghana we want to bring our own children into. Today, while we celebrate Ghana’s youth for our ingenuity, innovation, and energy, we also invite all young people to join us and support the development of the Intergenerational Policy and Legal Framework for Ghana and rally behind this cause to make it a reality.
Youth today and tomorrow are the future. Let our voices be accounted for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Source: MyGhanaMedia.com