Sunday, December 11, 2016
Somali youth attend a conference in Mogadishu to enhance their participation in Somalia politics on December 10, 2016. AMISOM Photo / Ilyas Ahmed
A section of youths today gathered in Mogadishu, to discuss challenges young people face among them widespread unemployment and vulnerability to recruitment by violent extremists.
The youths expressed concern about the high unemployment rate, citing it as the main reason pushing young people into joining extremist groups.
“Part of the reason youth are joining Al-Shabaab, is because of the widespread unemployment in the country, but it is not only the youth who are at fault, but also the adults who exploit them, said Falastin Warfaa Abdulle, one of the participants.
Ms Abdulle urged the government and international donors to help create more job opportunities for the youth and also sensitize them on the importance of loving their country.
The meeting organized by Save Somali Youth Organization (SOSOYA), a non-governmental organization, with support from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), aimed at sensitizing the youth on their role in the recovery and stabilization of Somalia.
Naima Adan Elmi, the Chairperson of SOSOYA said the meeting was part of an ongoing initiative, to enable youths become self-reliant by imparting vocational skills.
“Although the youth remain vulnerable to various challenges, we are making a lot of progress, and AMISOM is always supporting us. They sponsor our meetings; they work together with us and SOSOYA,” noted Ms Elmi.
Naima Adan Elmi, the chairperson of the Save Somali Youth Organization speaks during a youth conference in Mogadishu to enhance youth participation in Somalia politics on December 10, 2016. AMISOM Photo / Ilyas Ahmed
Abdisalan Yusuf Abdulle, also a participant, observed that sustained advocacy was already bearing fruit, going by the increased number of youths voted to parliament in the ongoing electoral process.
“Over the last year, we have been campaigning for youths to be involved in politics. We thank God that we now have a number of youth MPs. This workshop is one of the programs we use for youth mobilization and the fruits are already evident. If you look at the government institutions today, many of the leaders are youths,” Mr Abdulle noted.
The participants were also sensitized on the dangers of being recruited into extremist groups and challenged to be actively involved in the country’s stabilization process. The sensitization programme will be extended to Baidoa, Kismaayo and Beletweyne.