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Statement on the proposed National Youth Service program
Youth Forum
January 17, 2011

The Youth Forum is deeply depressed by recent media reports that the Ministry of Youth Development, Indigenization and Empowerment led by Savior Kasukuwere has decided to introduce a new structure for the National Youth Service that will see preschool and kindergarten kids being roped into the already controversial program. While we welcome the idea of national service in the proper context, it is the motive behind this new structure and the manner in which it has been designed that worries all concerned citizens. Worse still, the timing of his initiative smacks of an ulterior motive.

The National Youth Service Training Centers, or "Border Gezi" training institutes as they are popularly known, are infamous for producing a crop of youths that have unleashed unwarranted violence on innocent and unsuspecting civilians. It is this violent history and nature of the service that raises questions on the current motive by the notorious Minister's motives on tapping our young brothers and sisters into such atrocious systems before they even reach double-digit pronounced years. Having someone indoctrinated with such violent thoughts, as has been the norm, from a tender age will only lead into more disastrous consequences for our beloved nation that is still struggling to recover from past experiences of violence like Gukurahundi and the post March 2008 election violence. How will the community in general and parents of such children be able to control and guide them judging on what has so far been produced by such institutions?

While the idea of teaching young children on national matters like the national flag, national anthem, coat of arms and so on is not a terrible idea, it is the manner in which Minister Kasukuwere intends to do it that is puzzling. We are of the strong conviction that such issues can be handled well by the current pre-school teachers as part of the pres-school curricula as opposed to a national program aimed at brainwashing the little ones. Instead of coming up with a costly and brainwashing program, the ministry should be looking at ways of incorporating such important education and knowledge into the current primary and pre school curricula as well as inculcating such values and education into the kids from their friendly environs and not some dreadful institutions.

While it is important for the youths to be taught on the history of the country especially the armed struggle that got us independence and freedom from colonialism and racial discrimination, we should not be overly obsessed with such issues to the extent of forgetting that the nation also has a future. The designing of the National Youth Service program should take into account the history of the nation as well as the current state and future of the country. It is only after training the young men and women of the country on the country's current state and the nature of global politics, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, economic empowerment and other such issues that we can expect the country to move forward.

It is also disturbing to note the clandestine and secrecy manner in which such an idea can be crafted considering there are a lot of institutions and organizations that deal with youth issues. In crafting such an important national program, such organizations that have the necessary experience in dealing with young people should be given a voice as they have a stake in the implementation of such programs. Organizations that quickly come to mind include Child Line, Girl Child Network and a host of other youth-oriented organizations like the Youth Forum. Such organizations have vast experience in dealing with issues and will add value to the design of the youth service program. Involving such organizations will also help in ensuring that the program is not designed to serve some political party interests but national interests. This is very vital for the program to be accepted by the youths as it has been, from its inception, been serving some party interests and his has turned he program into being skeptically viewed by its intended beneficiaries.

The Youth Forum, as a platform for youth voices, the intended beneficiaries of the program, would like to make the following recommendations to the ministry:

• First and foremost, they must involve the youths themselves in drafting the new program, this can be achieved by consulting organizations that represents various youths interests as major stakeholders in the program
• Come up with laws and regulations that will ensure that matters of national value are taught to young children in classes both at primary level and preschool level instead of taking this kindergarten kids to some raining institutions.
• Contract non-partisan experts to come up with the curriculum for the training institutions so as to make these institutions credible to all stakeholders.
• Ensure that participants at these institutions are taught in other areas of life that are of serious importance to the nation like HIV/AIDS, economic empowerment and entrepreneurship and other areas of life.

Visit the Youth Forum fact sheet

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