PROPOSAL ON THE NEED TO CONVENE AN AKURMI YOUTH CONFERENCE BACKGROUND • There is no doubt that the challenges confronting the Akurmi youth in the 21st century is not only daunting but also depressing. These challenges range from limited opportunities which has produced issues such as fragile unity, unemployment, poverty, restricted access to admission, lack of skills; cultural, traditional and historical extinction; immorality, restricted space for political participation and lack of mentorship, among many others. The potential inherent in the Akurmi youth is lying untapped; this is evident in the fact that the average Akurmi youth is charismatic, hard-working, intelligent and resourceful. It in view of the above that it has become mandatory for a plat-form to be created, that is a conference, for the sole purpose of identifying practical solutions to the myriad of challenges that are presently threatening our progress, growth and development. If these issues are not addressed now, then the future would continue to be bleak. JUSTIFICATION • The youth constitute the largest percentage of the Akurmi nation; which makes anything that has to do with them sensitive and critical. They are the engine room that would drive the Akurmi nation from where it is now into the future; a future that can only be bright if only a solid foundation is laid for them. • According to the Zaria gazetteer of 1911, the Akurmi nation as at the time, constituted in terms of population, one of the largest ethnic group in the area, but today our population has served us very little in terms of wealth and opportunity distribution in Nigeria. That is why looking into the future the Akurmi youth must come together to ensure that their population strength henceforth counts to their developmental advantage. • A large number of our youth today are frustrated due to limited access to empowerment especially in employment and educational opportunities; due largely to lack of a conscious and coordinated empowerment policy or programs, which they have anticipated their elites to bring into fruition. The few attempts over the years have left so much to be desired. So, it has become necessary for the youth to take their destiny into their hands, by coming together to fashion out a way forward. • Over the years, as we all are aware, the Akurmi youth has been manipulated and used to perpetrate electoral fraud especially through blackmail, rigging and violence. This has witnessed the emergence of political leaders not through popular mandate but through the candidates ability to manipulate the process. That is why it has become difficult to hold our leaders accountable; the youth end up becoming beggars for what is by right theirs. The youth through this medium must be made aware of the fact that they deserve the kind of leadership they get, if they don’t fully and positively participate in the leadership selection and decision-making processes. • There are other issues that needs to be addressed in order to ensure that our youth have a brighter future than the present we are suffering, this include issues of moral decay and cultural, traditional and historical extinction. THEME • BUILDING A BRIGTHER FUTURE FOR THE AKURMI YOUTH: THROUGH CONFRONTING ITS CHALLENGES IN THE 21ST CENTURY. GOAL • To evolve and develop a youth population that is well-equipped to confront the challenges posed by the 21st century. OBJECTIVES • To unite the Akurmi youth population towards confronting the challenges of the 21st century. • To formulate policies that would open up opportunities for Akurmi youths in the areas of education, employment and skills acquisition. • To reawaken and preserve our culture, traditions and history in the face of the challenges posed by globalization. • To increase awareness on the participatory role expected to be played by the Akurmi youth in the leadership-selection and decision-making processes. • To revive the decaying moral values among the Akurmi youth. TARGET • The conference should target not less than two hundred Akurmi youth from across the country irrespective of age, gender, religion or political affiliation. MODE OF IMPLEMENTATION • Massive publicity and mobilization • Stakeholder’s involvement. • Five major paper presentations addressing each one of our objectives. • Interactive sessions • Focused Group discussions • Entertainment and refreshment • Resolutions and setting-up of sub-committees to execute it. • Press conference KEY STAKEHOLDERS • All Kurama youth • Federated Kurama Youth Associations with all its branches PARTNERS • Kurama traditional institution • Federated Kurama Association (Men and Women wing). • Security Agencies • Media Agencies BUDGET • A financial committee should be set-up to draft the budget. SOURCES OF FUNDING • Contribution from all the FKYA branches. • Donations and sponsorship CONCLUSION • It is my most confident belief that when this conference is convened it would go a long way in addressing the challenges that are presently frustrating many of our teeming youth; thereby placing us in a strategic position to continuously be relevant in the 21st century. It is a conference of the youth, by the youth and for the youth.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 10:02:15 +0000
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