Think and Rethink, African Youth!!!!

“We've got the man power, energy plus the passion. Lets us stop talking and start working.  Let us think and Rethink!!!!”

Thanks to Mu'azu Muhammad, of NYSC/MDGs, ‘Family and Community Life Reorientation (FACOR),  for making such a good point about the question of Youth Development especially in Africa, addressing the topic, “Poverty, Africa and the Question of Youth Development,” on the “Back to Mexico 2010 WYC African Youth Preparatory group (August 2010)” facebook page.

It’s true that poverty and unemployment are challenges that we faced as African youth. There are many if not millions of productive youth across Africa with great dreams and creative ideas that are very useful to our today's Development challenges.

If the question was posed a 100 times, "Can we just fold our arms and keep watching?" The lazy and sleepy youth would say a simple, 'YES.' But this is the good news, the think and rethinking strategies are the best. The success of Africa highly, if not depends on Africans. To reduce this slung of backwardness from our lives, we gat to make use of the opportunities that are available to us. And if we cannot find one, it is our responsibilities as Africa youth to create one.

We've got the man power, energy plus the passion. Lets us stop talking and start working.  Let us think and Rethink!!!!

Think and Rethink about this: Did Nelson Mandela stooped after he spent 27 years in prison on Robben Island (now a world famous tourist); Did Desmond Tutu quit the fight to became a heroic figure in the fight against Apartheid, (He also became the second South African to be awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize); or did Steve Biko refuse to be noted as an anti Apartheid activist,( who founded the Black Consciousness Movement, a movement which would empower a vast majority of the black population of South Africa?)

Therefore, every African youth must know that each challenge overcome in our age buys an admission ticket to a more victorious moment. We will not, we should not and we cannot stop this fight until the smiles of our various countries are enjoying the sweetness of our today's efforts.

There is no African Youth Problem. The problem is weather young Africans can create the courage, honor and determination to live up to the success of their cause of achieving Peace and development! "The past is a ghost," Bill Cosby remarked "the future a dream. All we ever have is now."

I support Muhammad when he wrote, "We can now engage them with different approaches of fighting poverty that are YOUTH TARGETTED and Youth driven, using the time we have now and upward." Let us finally join our hearts, hands and minds with productive solution in the the Mexico 2010!!!

Let us not do nothing, watch-out, POVERTY do murder!!

Joseph M D Johnson
Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration
GIMPA – Marketing 2013’

Youth Empowerment for Progress (YEP)
Liberia