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International Youth Day: Dialogue and mutual understanding
Students Solidarity Trust
August 16, 2010

The Student Solidarity Trust joins the international community in commemorating the International Youth Day, under this year's theme "Dialogue and Mutual understanding" which are fundamental in the attainment of Youth goals and liberties.

The Student Solidarity Trust believes in the importance of Youth participation in all the aspects of governance and citizen participation. It is imperative that the Youth be involved in all facets of governance from institutional to national structures of democratic processes. Dialogue is important in the constitution, culture and moral system that are a true reflection of its peoples' needs. As the world celebrates the International Youth Day SST advocates for there to be dialogue between government and the youth in all political spheres without intimidation and cohesion in order for mutual understandings to be established.

The youth are the backbone of any society's economic and democratic success hence as we commemorate international youth day it is imperative that we invest in the education of our youth as they are the future leaders of our societies. The government has a social responsibility to make sure that human rights are respected and that the youth are provided with a conducive environment to be productive. However the SST is concerned with the continued suppression of students rights in the country which does not auger well with the theme of this year's celebrations which calls for dialogue and mutual understanding among the youth.

Our institutions of learning must be places where academic freedoms must be upheld and respected in order to build up the youth of the nation and to foster a spirit of tolerance and freedom of expression which respects human rights. Building socially responsible youths starts with providing basic education to the youth regardless of social stutus, education must be made universal for all and should not be selective and a privilege to the elite. Thus in line with the ongoing constitutional outreach meetings the SST calls for youths to advocate for the right to education to be enshrined in the bill of rights because education is ultimate empowerment.

As the world commemorates this day it is important to keep in mind the importance of Protecting Student Activism and Student Bodies: The government must respect and facilitate for the establishment of autonomous Student bodies or organizations to act as pressure groups and aid in better transparency and an effective government. All groups of different religious, social, cultural, economic, sporting and political persuasions must have the right to run without direct undue interference from authorities. Learning institutions must ensure adequate representation of students in particular at universities in the decision and policy making platforms through participation of elected student representatives. Consequently authorities must be obliged by the constitution to aid and allow regular student elections to be held at campus to elect student representatives. This in turn should effectively mean the state should stop the ongoing victimization of students. Although there has been significant decline in the number of arrests and intimidation of students in the month of July a lot of student activists are still attending ongoing trials and disciplinary hearings for expressing their dissatisfaction with the ways in which universities and state colleges are run. In the month of July alone a total number of thirty four student activists appeared in various courts. The students demand that the justice system be freed from political interference and manipulation.

A quarter must be reserved for female and disabled students in the executives of all student bodies. Students willing to join student bodies must be allowed to do so without undue threats, intimidation and interference from authorities or other student bodies. The student bodies must be free to affiliate to any national or international organization whose objectives resonate with their objectives. In the spirit of national healing, reconciliation and integration all student activist suspended on political grounds must be re-admitted at their respective universities. Campus security officers at the universities must not be allowed to assault students and student activists in particular and any such cases must be reported to the police and be treated as common assault pending hearings at the universities.

The Student Solidarity Trust encourages the Youth to be part of the ongoing constitutional consultative processes. As the youth constitutes more that 55% of the total population in Zimbabwe it is of the highest importance that they be a part of the process that leads to the formulation of the supreme law that will govern them. SST is advocating for the right to education to be a constitutional right. Students believe that in a broader context incorporating the right to education in the bill of rights will provide mechanisms for the general student, civil society organisations, communities and independent commissions to hold public actors accountable for infringements on the right to education.

In line with the theme of providing dialogue and mutual understanding, the students demand that academia, scholars and citizens be able to exercise free enquiry, research, and must be free to teach or communicate ideas including those that are not favourable to the state, political groups or authorities. Essential to the acceptance of the concept of academic freedom is the notion that truth is best discovered through the open investigation of data. In the case of scholars, whose occupation are directly involved with that right, the concept of academic freedom must not only be guaranteed but also be respected.

As the Youth continue to lobby for an accurate and effective representation and space to lobby for their rights, it is important as we celebrate the International Youth Day that fundamental and basic human rights be respected.

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