From 22 - 25 July 2019, Rwanda was hosting the 3^rd Annual Summer School for Youth cadres of Political parties. This event has been jointly organized in partnership with the African Union, the International IDEA, and the National Consultative Forum of Political Organizations (NFPO). The third Annual Summer School was organized under the theme: “Youth Political Contribution to Prevent/Mitigate Electoral and Political Violence in African Countries”. The event brought together youth cadres from Rwanda, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, and Zimbabwe. 

The NFPO Spokesperson Hon. MUKABUNANI Christine

Hon. MUKABUNANI Christine, the NFPO Spokesperson who opened this academy said that the Youth Academy is one of the acts providing the implementation of the partnership between NFPO and International IDEA, signed in February 2017, and focusing on various themes pertaining to capacity building for political parties’ members of the Forum.

She thanked the organisers of this Academy who decided, for the 3^rd time, to organize it in Rwanda. “It is an honour for us Rwandans to share experience and lessons in the course of promoting democratic values, preventing and fighting anti-democratic practices through the engagement of our youth cadres from political parties” She said.

The youth cadres from political parties are the future political leaders of countries. She called upon the African senior leaders, and different organizations, to educate and train them for political positions in the democratic manner. “Today’s youths are force, hope and leaders of tomorrow, she mentioned”.

She reminded this youth that the positive leadership is key in preventing political conflicts and violence, by leaving no one behind in the country’s businesses (socio-economic transformation and democratic governance). Countries may have well written laws, policies and programs, but the most important thing is their implementation and the commitment of leadership and all citizens to achieve tangible results. The role of Youth in any country’s development has always to be taken into consideration. Rwanda considers its youth as a major asset of the Country and key drivers for sustainable development, if empowered and well-motivated.

Youth is the category of people that is easily manipulated, brought into political activities and finally are the most affected either as victims or perpetrators. And this happens very often in African countries during electoral processes. To deal with, Youths from different continents and more particularly from African countries should be equipped with capacities, skills and strategies to become more effective agents of positive and constructive change through democratic ways (free and fair political elections).  

Due to the active role played by bad politicians and some youth in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda has opted for a multiparty system promoting national cohesion, inclusive democracy and power sharing,  the constant quest for solutions through dialogue and consensus. The role of the rwandan youth in this journey of the country’s reconstruction and democratic governance, is crucial.

It is within this context that, the National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations has been institutionalized as a permanent platform that brings together political organisations for the purposes of political dialogue, building consensus and national cohesion.

Among its mandate, include the strengthening of Party capacities for political career development. It is in this regard that all Party leaders’ members of the Forum opted for the establishment of the Youth Political Leadership Academy (YPLA). The YPLA is a continuous political training program, for youth cadres from all registered political parties members of the NFPO. Its aim is to provide to the youth, with the necessary skills and knowledge that help them to participate effectively in the country’s political governance and development. 

She said that from its creation in 2010, the Youth Political Leadership Academy has trained more than 1100 youth cadres from all 11 registered political parties’ members of the Forum.  During the training, youth graduates learnt several courses from Party ideology, Party creation, functioning and development; public policies and good governance; Leadership and political change management; gender policy and development; political mobilisation, campaigning and democratic elections. 

As far as elections and political conflicts are concerned, emphasis is put on the strategies and mechanisms for political conflicts prevention and resolution. They also learn how Political systems determine the design of electoral system and the way political competition is done within the framework of established laws and regulations. They learn how Government Powers (Legislative, Executive and Judiciary) operate and interact within the Rwandan context and history, and how power sharing is organized within our country and why.

In her concluding remark the spokesperson of the Forum thank the organizers and invited youth participants to the 3^rd Academy, to gain from each other, by reflecting on, and discussing the root causes of electoral and political violence in some African countries. She added that, the Academy was also an opportunity to share experience, knowledge, and tools that would help participants to develop strategies aiming to prevent electoral, political violence and conflicts in their respective countries.

The representative of the African Union, Amb. Hammad MOHAMMED said that Rwanda was chosen because it has had a history of the youth playing both, a negative role during the genocide against the Tutsi and thereafter, playing a very significant positive role in Rwanda’s reconstruction. This may inspire other youth from African countries to be involved in the process of positive change, through democratic ways.

This, he explained, was also encouraged by the role of the Rwandan youth in driving politics and development today, which makes the Rwanda one of the highest performers on the continent, with young people being in decision-making organs in the highest levels.

He explained that since the theme concerns African youth, only six countries had been picked based on the fact that they are going into elections in the nearest period.

“We naturally picked countries that are going into elections and where the risk of violence is slightly higher than the rest. There are signs that young people could be manipulated into electoral violence and this is some sort of preventive diplomacy,” he said.

The first Annual Youth Academy organized in Kigali, in May 2017, focused on Inclusive Democratic Governance, and brougth together youth cadres from political parties of   South Sudan, Tunisia, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda, Haiti, Ethipia and France.

Th Second one held in June 2018, focused on “Enhancing youth participation in political processes by addressing emerging trends of the negative aspects of money in politics’’, and brought together youth cadres from Rwanda, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Benin, Tunisia, Lebanon, Haiti, France, South Soudan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Burikina Faso.

This third Academy focuses on Youth Political Contribution to Prevent/Mitigate Electoral and Political Violence in African Countries”; and brings together youth cadres from African Countries: Rwanda, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, and Zimbabwe.