Francisco Sequeira R.: Afronicaraguan Youth Ii Regional Encounter

AFRONICARAGUAN YOUTH II REGIONAL ENCOUNTER “Nicaragua Caribbean Coast Afrodescendant Youth - challenges and opportunities in a new century” Conference “Youth political and social participation; challenges and opportunities” October 1, 2009

Francisco

“I`m sick and tired, of being sick and tired” Fannie Lou Hamer, at the National Democrat Convention. 1968, U.S.

“Youth political and social participation; challenges and opportunities” • Youth (young people) is defined as a sector of the population whose ages range between 18 and 30 years. This definition is vague and does not contemplate the following aspects: – Needs and hopes of the sector of the population – Their diversity and identity – It does not view young people as citizens, instead it views them as a numerical data.

“Youth political and social participation; challenges and opportunities” • Along with this definition that is very common in our society, there are some elements that are usually associated to youth; among these the most outstanding are: – – – –

Youth: Youth: Youth: Youth:

a transition period a period of problems and difficulties active citizen active in development processes

• It is in the last two approaches what it means to be young, where we can find a more fair approach and based on rights, promoting inclusion and facilitating the deconstruction of social relations that discriminate and exclude young people, their remaining development opportunities and personal fulfillment (opportunities for pursuit of happiness).

“Youth political and social participation; challenges and opportunities” • In particular, we would discuss / analyze these definitions of what it means to be young, affect our development and in particular, forms and spaces in which we participate, whether political or social spaces. • To this end, we assume that participation in a right, linked to the civil and political human rights, so in principle the participation of youth should be viewed as the guarantee and the exercise of a human right for youths.

“Youth political and social participation; challenges and Furthermore, we present two types of •opportunities” participation:

  1.

Political participation: Political participation is viewed as the compromise individual and group has towards the political processes, and is defined as: “all those activities done by citizens with the objective of intervening in the assigning of public officials or influencing the formation of state policies.

2.

Social participation: is recognized as collective actions done by associations and networks motivated by an objective that does not pertain directly to the state. (spirit, mission, philosophy, ideology etc.) Examples of this participation are the associations that promote social solidarity (out or within their communities), characterized by informal organizations with and horizontal relationship among their associates.

“Youth political and social participation; challenges and opportunities”

• These forms of participation in the youth express themselves in different contexts, society and ethnic groups, but in the case of Nicaragua, and especially the Caribbean coast, is important to consider that:

– The youth participate less than adults – Are constituted as most people on the Caribbean coast – Participate in political parties less than adults – Are more calls for voluntary social action on issues of environmental protection and they feel more identified with religious youth groups, because they listen them.

•

“Youth political and social participation; challenges and opportunities” • In the autonomous regime particular context we find: 1. That Young people do not know the history of the autonomy, the history of the Caribbean Coast, and therefore, their autonomic rights and opportunities for municipal participation. 2. Of those that know how to participate in municipal affairs, only 5% has participated more than once. 3. They have a negative perception of the authorities of the Regional Council and Regional Government. They consider that they are corrupted and do not comply with their functions. 4. They consider that the Autonomous Regime does not comply with their interests and needs as young people. 5. They consider that autonomy is an ideal written on paper that has not yet materialized.

“Youth political and social participation; challenges and opportunities” • Based on these expressions of youth (afrodescentant, miskitos and mestizos), there is need to formulate some questions for joint reflection:

– Is their any interest for young afrodescendants to participate in public political spaces? (Regional Government, Regional Council, Municipality, Communal Directive Board) – What are the obstacles we face?

“Youth political and social participation; challenges and opportunities”  If, even with the obstacles, there is still interest, what do we intend to achieve with our participation?

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Can we contribute to the development of the Region, the municipality or the community if we are involved and participate in development processes? Are we willing to fight for our rights and ensure they are complied?

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Can we contribute to the fulfillment of the Autonomous Regime? Are we interested in doing so?

participation; challenges and opportunities” • In a particular way we can see opportunities and challenges for youth in social and political participation: o We need to participate much more in the different regional, municipal and communal space. o We (youth) need be consider as citizens; regional development and autonomic regime protagonist. o Open real space to promote the development of youth. o Participate to: Destroy al stereotype around youth. Demands our rights. Consider youth as protagonist actors for regional development and autonomic regime strengthening. Try to enable our development as young people, and create conditions for social development.

"I like people that vibrates, that we should not push, do not have to tell you to do the thing, but who knows what to do, and then do it" Mario Benedetti, Uruguayan poet