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Youth Matters 10 Years of the Youth Leadership Development Programme (YLDP) in Namibia

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Youth Matters 10 Years of the Youth Leadership Development Programme (YLDP) in Namibia Youth Matters 10 Years of the Youth Leadership Development Programme (YLDP) in Namibia Compiled and edited by Peik Bruhns Bankie Forster Bankie Peik Bruhns Dawid Gawaseb Herbert Jauch Phanuel Kaapama George Kambala Unomengi Kauapirura Julietta Kavetuna Peya Mushelenga Engenesia Neunda Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati Artwell Nhemachena Wanja Njuguna Ben Schernick Ignatius Semba Youth Matters 10 Years of the Youth Leadership Development Programme (YLDP) in Namibia Compiled and edited by Peik Bruhns National Youth Council (NYC) Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service Windhoek Namibia 2016 © Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, 2016 All rights reserved. The material in this publication may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted without the prior permission of the publisher. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Publisher’s contact details: 95 John Meinert Street, Windhoek West P.O. Box 23652, Windhoek, Namibia Telephone (+264) (0)61-417500 Fax (+264) (0)61-237441 Email [email protected] Website www.fesnam.org.na Printed by John Meinert Printing (Pty) Ltd in Windhoek, Namibia. An electronic version (PDF) of this publication is available at www.fesnam.org.na. ISBN 978-99945-60-62-2 Contents Foreword ...................................................................................................................... iii YLDP Factsheet .......................................................................................................... v Interview with the YLDP Patron .................................................................... 1 1 African Youth Status Report: Threats and Challenges Call Into Question Youth Resilience By Bankie Forster Bankie and Artwell Nhemachena .................................. 11 2 Youth Political Retreatism, Activism and Militancy in Post-Colonial Namibia By Phanuel Kaapama ......................................................................................... 25 3 Aligning African Youth Policies to Improve their Role in Africa and in International Relations – a Namibian Perspective By Peya Mushelenga .......................................................................................... 40 4 Globalisation and How the Youth Can Cope with its Challenges By Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati .................................................................... 50 5 Strategies for Young Women to Live in a Society Free of Gender-Based Violence By Julietta Kavetuna .......................................................................................... 59 6 Contemporary Youth Leadership Development for Active Citizenship By Dawid Gawaseb ............................................................................................. 67 Contents i 7 Volunteerism – a Pillar in Youth Development By George Kambala ........................................................................................... 75 8 Empowering Young People Today for a Future Not Yet Known By Ben Schernick ................................................................................................. 84 9 Youth-Inclusive Trade Unions: The Relevance of Namibia’s Labour Movement for the Youth By Herbert Jauch ................................................................................................. 94 10 The Media Impact the Image of the Youth By Wanja Njuguna and Unomengi Kauapirura ......................................... 103 11 Youth Agenda 2020 – Let’s Walk the Talk! By Peik Bruhns ................................................................................................... 114 12 Challenges and Opportunities Faced by Young African Leaders By Engenesia Neunda ...................................................................................... 119 13 The Importance of Youth Taking Their Development Into Their Own Hands By Ignatius Semba ............................................................................................ 128 Impressions Mosaic: Testimonials of YLDP Participants ............... 137 Appendix A: YLDP Profile ............................................................................... 149 Appendix B: YLDP Graduates ...................................................................... 153 Appendix C: The Authors ............................................................................... 159 Appendix D: Bibliography (consolidated) ............................................. 167 Appendix E: Abbreviations ........................................................................... 179 ii Youth Matters: 10 Years of the Youth Leadership Development Programme (YLDP) in Namibia Foreword he Memorandum of Agreement on the Youth Leadership Development TProgramme (YLDP) signed by the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, the National Youth Council and the Friedrich Ebert Stfitung on 4 October 2011 is a remarkable landmark in the developmental arena, not only in Namibia but globally. A formalised partnership commitment across a government agency, a local civil society actor and an international development partner is a formidable statement of how seriously important all parties involved in development consider youth development to be. The three partners, now rejoicing in a programme which they have jointly conducted since 2006 and have helped to grow beyond initial expectations, acknowledge that development is best executed by a team of dedicated and professional institutions. The three partners began working together to shape the programme long before signing the Memorandum of Agreement, and thus were able to ensure that its foundation was laid properly by the time of the signing. Many leaders in all three institutions have come and gone during the course of the decade of implementation, yet the institutions themselves have remained committed and dedicated to the programme and its underlying values and principles. The partners extend thanks to all who have contributed to the success and long life of this programme. The list of contributors is long, and naming them individually entails too big a risk of overlooking someone, thus it is better to offer an all-embracing Thank You! To all YLDP graduates and future graduates, we say that participation in such training is only the beginning of your journey. It is important that this beginning is solid, interesting, valuable and meaningful, but unless you build on this foundation, the career you choose may never come to full fruition. Namibia offers a wide range of educational institutions that can help you to pursue the career of your choice, and the youth development community itself – including the National Youth Council and National Youth Service – Foreword iii offers many interesting paths for you. We hope that all of you will consider such options for building on your YLDP experience. Generally senior leaders in Namibia welcome advice and suggestions from the youth, and leaders in the YLDP implementing institutions can now proudly observe that graduates have been able advisors. Nevertheless, as the programme custodians we want to remind all graduates that the line between confidence and arrogance is a thin one! The programme places much emphasis on respect and tolerance, and we hope that the graduates will always exemplify these traits and thereby help to cement them among all generations in Namibian society at large. As a team we are celebrating, and simultaneously we are looking into the future. With the youth trained through the YLDP, Namibia’s developmental prospects are exciting, but we know that success is always accompanied by the menace of complacency – which has no place as a partner in this team. Therefore we must continue striving for greater levels of excellence, trusting that we as the programme custodians, together with the sending agencies, the resource people, the coordinating secretariats, the social projects, the facilitators and all participants, will reach ever-greater heights in the years to come. The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service The Executive Chairperson National Youth Council The Resident Representative Friedrich Ebert Stiftung iv Youth Matters: 10 Years of the Youth Leadership Development Programme (YLDP) in Namibia YLDP Factsheet 2006 YLDP curriculum designed. 2007 First national intake for YLDP – an annual national programme ever since. 2008 Hon. Ben Amathila becomes YLDP Patron. Partnership established between Namibia’s National Youth Council (NYC) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES). Self-organised YLDP Alumni formed. 2009 YLDP Coordinator employed at FES. First party-political youth forum established by YLDP offspring. 2010 YLDP graduates trained as programme facilitators. Regional leadership workshops piloted. YLDP web presence established – www.fesnam.org/yldp.html/facebook. 2011 Memorandum of Agreement ratified between Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture (MYNSSC), NYC and FES. YLDP graduates-turned-facilitators start running the national programme. 2012 Regional workshops conducted by YLDP facilitators on a regular basis. Special YLDP workshops conducted for emerging young women leaders and young people with disabilities. Southern Africa Regional Youth Forum (SARYF) formed as a regional networking body and annual networking platform. NYC appoints YLDP Coordinator. First YLDP Yearbook published. 2013 Fully funded MYNSSC Regional YLDP conducted. 2014 Regional graduates trained as programme facilitators. 2015 First draft of YLDP Handbook produced. 2016 Celebration of 10
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