OPINION

By Dr Catherine Odenyo Ndekera

The young people say in Kiswahili: ‘Vitu kwa ground ni different’. This is exactly what is happening when it comes to youth involvement in green transitions. Too much talk, but little action!

It is important to remember that the youth, leadership and power have got a strong linkage. According to the Uganda Youth Manifesto 2021-2026, the youth in Uganda have an immense yet untapped potential for national socio-economic development.

Today, the youth make-up 70% of Uganda’s population, which is about 30 million people; aged between 15-29 years. This poses a question as the world celebrates the International Youth Day.

What should we do?

We need to have all stakeholders on the same boat, advocating and acknowledging that the youth are central to the solutions of the world’s problems. The representation of the youth in leadership positions is still a drop in the ocean. Their voices and presence are so slim in the leadership echelon. We need to include them in decision making roles especially as key players to the solutions of the world’s problems.

If the youth are empowered, we will be able to first of all tap into their vigour and numbers. Secondly, the youth are in their most productive stage of life. We shall be sure of creativity, innovation and productivity. All these lead to development and growth of a country.

It is also interesting that the youth are already gifted by nature with intelligence, shrewdness, and agility. All they need is unwavering support from both government and non-governmental organisations as well as religious and cultural institutions.

As former US President, Franklin D. Roosevelt said, we cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build them for the future. Instead of handing them the fish, we should teach them how to fish through empowerment.

Little wonder, there are a number of different resolutions made by the United Nations to recognize the views and opinions of the youth as change makers in the society. In the resolutions 2419 of 2018, the UN Security Council called upon different actors to consider increasing representation of young people when negotiating and implementing peace agreements, recognizing that their marginalization is detrimental to the building of sustainable peace and countering violent extremism.

For over a decade, Solidaridad has demonstrated through engaging the youth that young people have the potential to contribute to the development of the world. This implies that changing the world does not start with the world, but rather with the young generation.

To us, gender inclusivity is essential for creating economically, socially and environmentally sustainable supply chains. It is part of the systemic change we need in order to face the global challenges of population growth and our increasing needs.

At Solidaridad, we envision that involving young people in the design and implementation of projects improves their participation and adds to the sustainability of program outcomes.

Analyzing the possibilities and limitations of farming or mining as related to the youth can improve the choices they make with respect to their future and guide their investments choices. The youth possess untapped potential that can be utilized to improve safe production in various value chains.

With intentional inclusion of the youth in our program interventions, Solidaridad has registered willingness of the youth to actively participate in farming and mining. The exposure of youth to the knowledge of digital technologies allows them to adapt to the global trends of green transition and smart farming.

They have also shown interest in smart diversification through organic farming methods. As we continue to lobby and advocate for the inclusion of youth in value chains and policy processes, we acknowledge the need to continue addressing the barriers that hinder their participation.

The shift towards an environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly world is critical and the youth have a central role to play in achieving the global goals on mitigating the climate change crisis. We, therefore, need to raise awareness on green skills and involve relevant stakeholders on the policies and practices that can accelerate the adoption of a greener future.

In conclusion, as the world is embarking on a green transition, inclusivity should be at the forefront of all the decisions that are being made, and this should be in different ways; gender and elders among others. However, we cannot think of inclusivity without involving the youth in decision making. 

The writer is a Regional Gender Inclusivity Advisor Solidaridad, East and Central Africa