At a formal launch of Youth Month this morning, The Chairperson of the Steering Committee on Youth Parliament, Hon Makhubela-Mashele delivered the following:
Parliament is honoured to host Youth Parliament during the month of June.
The theme of Youth Parliament 2013 is “Youth at the centre of economic opportunities”.
Youth Parliament is a national discussion platform provided by Parliament to encourage young people through active debates to take part in shaping the country and deepening democracy. The programme pays homage to our youth for the valuable contribution made to the country’s liberation and development. Parliament wants to ensure that the youth continue to play a critical role in social transformation, reconstruction and development in post apartheid South Africa.
Youth Parliament serves as a mechanism to involve youth in debating the pressing issues faced by young people. It creates an opportunity for the youth to engage with Parliament, the provincial Legislatures, national youth structures and national government, and it encourages them to take part in decision-making and legislative processes.
Youth Parliament will be done differently this year with several changes intended to ensure that young people are empowered to make their voices heard. This means that Youth Parliament 2013 will take on a different format than it has in previous years.
These changes will ensure that maximum impact is achieved. The impact of this year’s Youth Month programme will be measured through reaching out to young people beyond the invitees to the annual Youth Parliament and Parliament’s ability to oversee the implementation of resolutions of the Youth Parliament, beyond the Youth Month.
This year, it will be divided into four phases:
Phase one: Launch event in the New Wing Restaurant, National Assembly Building, Parliament - 4 June 2013;
Phase two: Capacity building workshop
Phase three: A two-day Western Cape workshop (venue to be confirmed);
Phase four: Provincial workshops in Limpopo and the Northern Cape (venues and dates to be confirmed)
Parliament will welcome young people who have been selected from all nine provinces for a one-day Capacity Building Workshop in June 2013, in an effort to educate and inform young people on the workings and procedures of the institution.
Young people will also attend a two-day workshop in the Western Cape (venue to be communicated) in June 2013. At this workshop they will identify, unpack and discuss issues affecting the youth of the country. Several government departments have been invited to make presentations at the workshop. Young people will be given the opportunity to raise their concerns and come up with sustainable and creative solutions to these problems when breaking up into their various commissions. The commissions are:
1. Youth and Economic Participation
2. Promotion of healthy and positive lifestyles
3. Education and skills development
4. Youth and Rural Development
5. Social Cohesion
Based on the resolutions adopted during the two-day Western Cape workshop, Parliament will organise a similar workshop in both the Northern-Cape and Limpopo in an attempt to reach young people from across the country.
As part of Youth Month celebrations, the National Assembly held a debate on Youth Day in the National Assembly Chamber in the afternoon.
The Steering Committee on Youth Parliament is also proposing the establishment of a Multi-Party Youth Caucus (MPYC) for the 5th Parliament. This caucus will play a central role in forming legitimate, cross-party solidarity, in order to promote the single, common goal of youth development.
The proposal was handed over by the Chairperson of the Steering Committee on Youth Parliament, Ms Lusizo Makhubela-Mashele to the Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Ms. Thandi Memela, at the launch of Youth Parliament this morning. The MPYC will aim to build an effective people’s Parliament that is responsive to the needs of youth, and that is driven by the ideal of realising a better quality of life for all youth within South Africa, the African continent and Internationally.
Parliament is committed to the development of the country’s youth and encourages young people in South Africa to become involved in the work and programmes of Parliament. We look forward to engaging with youth on a variety of growth and developmental issues during the coming month.
IFor media inquiries or interviews with the chairperson of the Steering Committee on Youth Parliament, please contact:
Mlindi Mpindi (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Mobile: 073 197 1315
Tel: (021) 403 2340
Email: mmpindi@parliament.gov.za
