News:
September 6, 2019
A month long debate to justify why Ghanaian youth should be included in the democratic process has started in universities across the country and would end 10th of October 2019.
The competitive debate organized by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in collaboration with the Public Affairs Department of Ghana’s Parliament, under a United Kingdom Government initiative called Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy is to create awareness and build understanding of Parliamentary democracy among the students’ Parliaments.
In a statement signed by the country director of Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Dr. David Appiah, he noted that Ghana had evolved in its democratic practice but young people who form fifty-seven percent (57%) of the population are still left out and lack knowledge on the key governance process.
“Sustainable good governance, development and democracy cannot materialize at a country level without the active participation of the youth, who make the bulk of Ghana’s population. This initiative also focuses on the youth’s acquisition of adequate skills towards their political aspiration and working on personal development before getting politically affiliated”.
He further revealed that the university students will also be engaged in quiz competitions and be exposed to a video-documentary which cover young Members of Parliament in Ghana and the role they play in governance.
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The Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy works with Parliaments in fifteen (15) Commonwealth Member States across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia to improve representation of women, young people, people with disabilities and advancing inclusive and accountable democracies in the Commonwealth.
In Ghana, WFD is promoting women in leadership and inclusion at the same time working to improve transparency and accountability in the Parliament of Ghana through improving access to research.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com